My Life as Ishikari Mayu
by TFK-fan118
Summary: Fantastical. I'm back here again. Now I have to deal with regaining memories, ninja training, secrets, the stranger in my dreams, and finding relatives. The heck? Did I ask for this? It'll be a hack of a ride. Well, at least I have my own body now. Sequel to My Life as Hyuga Hinata. Revision in progress.
1. To Be More

**STOP**! You are not authorized to read this unless you have read the two prequels! Well, you are, but you'd be really confused, so I suggest going to my profile if you haven't already. This is, in fact, the third installment to this series. Anyway, I guess I'll do a disclaimer now, no matter how pointless it is. I mean, the site is called _fan_fiction. You'd think it'd be implied.

**_Disclaimer_**: I am not the owner of the _Naruto_ series. I merely play around with it for the amusement of others. I am in no way trying to claim rights.

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><p>The vice-principal seriously looked annoyed. Actually, that was pretty much the norm with this man. Kamijou-sensei was the strict type. He was young and could be considered handsome. Most of the first year girls had crushes on him. However, after about five or six encounters with him, they realized his personality. The man was prone to yelling about the smallest of things. He also liked to throw chalk. There were students walking about with chalk residue on their foreheads to prove it, too. There was a secret betting pool amongst the male students about how long it would take for the man to have a stroke or heart attack. Some provoked him on purpose. Why was he annoyed this time around? Well, it wasn't exactly trivial.<p>

It was actually pretty much a big deal. What had caused his irritation—and had been the cause of his irritation several times in the past—was me, Ishikari Mayu. This time, my parents were involved as well. The three of us sat quietly in the principal's office as though we were young children being scolded. Ironically, it wasn't the principal that was doing the scolding. Usami-sensei is a really nice old man. If he had a longer beard, he would look just like Dumbledore from the _Harry Potter_ series. It's because of that that most students call him Headmaster. Haha. Anyway, he was a passive man, so he sat idly by in his chair as Kamijou-sensei ranted at his right side. On his left side was Himuro-sensei, my homeroom teacher. She looked disappointed.

Like I said, what happened was pretty much a big deal. Finally, my headstrong mother could not take another word. She stood up quickly, which caused Kamijou-sensei's rant to cut short. Startled, he blinked. Father placed a hand on mother's shoulder, but that did little to calm her down. Or perhaps it did calm her down. After all, she didn't start yelling. "I don't understand why you're so upset! Why is it so wrong to be excited and cheer for my child when she receives her diploma?" she nearly hissed.

"The graduation ceremony is a formal occasion, Ishikari-san." Kamijou-sensei pushed his glasses closer to his eyes. It was a habit he did. "What you and your husband did was _inappropriate_." My mother crossed her arms and snorted. "However, that only contributed to why you three are here now." The vice-principal pointed a finger in my direction. I blinked. "Do you honestly see nothing wrong with the way your daughter _looks_?" I had a bruised jaw and a split lip. It wasn't that bad… if the blood on my uniform wasn't taken into consideration. So that's why my vice-principal was annoyed. I had shown up to graduation, looking like I had gotten into a fight.

I did. Right before the ceremony, too. Almost didn't make it. It had been ten of them this time. The blood didn't belong to me, by the way. What? Don't look at me like that. I'm not some delinquent or gang member. No way! I come to school every day. I obtain grades that satisfy my mom. I'm an overall _good student_. It's just… because of what happened my second year, that's all. Long story short, I made the mistake of trying to join the judo club. The captain was a jerk. He hadn't wanted any _girl_ to join his _manly_ club. Basically, I had smacked the crap out of him, and then left to join the archery club instead. Apparently, that smack had KO'd the guy. After that, word had spread. It was too bad that people had viewed him as the strongest guy in the area _and_ leader of the school's secret band of delinquents. They hadn't appreciated what I had done to him, especially his sword-swinging girlfriend. My life as a junior high student had been tough. But it was finally over. I didn't know the bastards would try to gang up on me on the day of my graduation! Hell, the guy hadn't even gone to my school for two years now!

Anyway, with the blood of the enemy on my skirt, I had arrived, late, to my graduation. This is why my Kamijou-sensei is currently upset. If I were in his shoes, I'd be pissed, too. Maybe. If I didn't know the circumstance. "That's not her blood. That obviously means she beat whoever tried to fight her," my mother stated. My vice-principal looked as though he wanted to rip out his hair.

"That is not the point! Obviously, you haven't taught her any proper manners!" he bellowed. "Always fighting!" That wasn't true. "Always falling asleep in class!" That wasn't true either. Partially. "And always late!" Okay, that was true. "How will she survive in Japan's society being this way?"

"What I taught my daughter is to defend herself when necessary, speak her mind when necessary, and bring home reasonable grades. She has done nothing wrong," my mother retorted. "She will survive just fine." She sat back down, done talking. My father cleared his throat.

"Sensei, I understand that you are upset. However, this is the end, don't you agree?" he questioned. There was silence for a moment. Then the principal chuckled.

"He is right," he stated. "Ishikari-san is officially done with junior high school. She will move on, grow, and pass into the life of a high school student at a different school. Who are we to scold her when she is no longer a student here?" He gave a little shrug. "Besides, Ishikari-san is a great student." The older man stood up. Hastily, my parents and I did the same. "It has been a great and amusing few years." Grinning, I bowed to show my thanks and respect. This old man was alright. My parents bowed as well. Usami-sensei lifted his palm with fingers parted down the middle. "Live well and prosper." My parents, never having seen that before, exchanged an incredulous look. I kept my grin. This was another thing that made the students like this guy. It made them feel at ease in his presence. My principal was a hard-core _Star Trek_ fan. No joke.

"_I'm going to miss junior high…" _

0-0

Another sigh came forth, causing Ishikari Chinoutori to frown. This occurrence was becoming more and more frequent. Honestly, he was beginning to worry. Never in his years as a parent had he heard his daughter sigh so melodramatically. She was the type of girl who rolled with the punches. She had taken her grandmother's motto 'Never let them see you sweat' to the extreme, so this behavior she was showing was a bit odd. It had started a few days after her graduation, he recalled. Since then, she hadn't been herself.

He supposed it was only naturally. She didn't have anything to do nowadays. The high school entrance exams were a ways off, so of course she wouldn't be studying. Her friends—Ichiro and Megumi—had become a couple some time during the school year, so she had rarely hung out with them, not wanting to interrupt their dates. Still, it was strange to see her act this way. Usually, she would find ways to entertain herself. Now, she would only sit around the house all day, sometimes with her lip poked out. Chinoutori lowered his book. Even now, she was sprawled out on the floor, blankly staring at the ceiling. At one point, she must have slid off the couch. "Mayu-chan," he called.

"_Hm_…?"

"Why don't you go outside? You've been in the house for a few days now."

"_Nah_, I don't feel like it," she replied. Chinoutori smiled nervously. His daughter turned on her side, facing his chair. "I don't get it, dad. What's wrong with me? It's like I'm completely unmotivated to do _anything_!" He watched his daughter's eyes narrow. "I don't like feeling this way."

"Mayu-chan… I'm sure that this is just a phase," Chinoutori said. "You'll bounce back as soon as you find something to do." She sat up and, again, sighed heavily.

"That's the problem, dad! I don't _want_ to find something to do!" She folded her legs, putting the soles of her feet together. "I'm so bored, but I don't feel like doing anything. Is this really normal? Sometimes I feel so out of place like—like-" Mayu rapidly scratched her scalp in frustration. "I don't know anymore! _Argh_!" She abruptly stood up. "I think I'll take a walk after all. I'll be back before dinner!"

He watched her go. She was completely unaware of the frown on his face. Chinoutori lowered his gaze after the front door shut. His daughter knew nothing, and yet on some level of her subconscious… she knew. The man chuckled. It was without humor. He set the book down on his lap, and then reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Flipping the phone open, he dialed a number. His own eyes narrowed as he listened to the ringing. _"I'm sorry… Sheena,"_ he thought. Finally, he heard the pickup. "Hello, grandfather… Yes, it's me… It's about Mayu." He dipped his chin, causing his bangs to cover his dark eyes. "Yes, I think it's time."

0-0

Mayu was excited. She hadn't been this excited in quite some time. The last time she had felt this way is when she had received her black belt from her Martial Arts instructor. That had been a year ago. Finally, after what seemed like a decade, her parents were taking her back to her father's hometown. The trip to this prefecture was long, but in the end, it was _completely_ worth it. She hadn't seen her grandparents or uncles for a very long time, it seemed. The young teenager stuck her head out of the open window, wide grin on her face. Her eyes lit up upon seeing the entrance to the small town.

Out of nowhere, her father had announced that it was time for a family vacation. The workaholic in her mother had immediately protested this impromptu vacation, but after a little persuasion—her father was good at that—Ishikari Sheena consented. Though, she was still disgruntled. Then again, she had been more irritated than usual as of late. Mentally shrugging, Mayu decided to put that at the back of her mind for now. They were getting closer and closer to her grandparents house.

Finally, her father stopped the van, putting it in park. With a squeal, the young teen removed her seatbelt and opened the door. In the passenger seat, her mother warned her not to jump on her father-in-law. Hurriedly, Mayu moved up the three steps and stopped in front of pale blue door. After smoothing her hair down and pulling at her loose shorts, the girl rang the _loud_ doorbell. Seriously, it sounded similar to a cow mooing _right in a person's ear_. It was long doorbell, too. After a few moments, the door opened, revealing a short elderly woman. Her neck-length grey hair almost looked silver since there were so little black strands left. Her brown eyes turned upwards as she locked her fingers behind her back.

"Well if it isn't the young hell raiser herself," her raspy voice greeted. Mayu grinned and hugged her grandmother. As usual she smelled of smoke and herbs. Smoke because that's what she did despite the doctor's orders. Herbs because she and her husband owned the bathhouse at the far end of town. "Yeah, yeah, get off me." The young girl stood up to her full height again. "Why are you so much taller?"

"Well, it has been two years since I've seen you, grandma! I was almost taller than you back then," Mayu answered. The old woman scoffed and turned, yelling out for her husband. Ishikari Hitomi hadn't changed a bit. "I'll go get our things!" The teen dashed back towards the van. Her father had already lifted the trunk. "Why isn't mom helping?" she muttered, watching her mother go straight into the two-story house.

"I told her she couldn't," her father answered with a shrug. He gave two suitcases to his daughter. She grunted at the weight, but was relatively fine with it. He placed a third suitcase on top. "Bad back, you know."

"Bad back…? Yeah right! She just dropped kicked me last week!"

"Things change," Chinoutori replied, lifting the rest of the suitcases from the van. He only carried two. "Could you get the door, sweetie?" Mayu nodded her head as her father headed towards his parents' house. She lifted her leg, and then brought it down. The trunk slammed shut. Grunting, Mayu turned and began walking towards the house as well. Luckily, her father held open the door for her. Once she was inside, she set the suitcases down and took off her shoes. Because of that, she could now see clearly. There to greet her with a grin was Ishikari Shohei—her grandfather. "Now, Mayu, don't lose your head," her father warned. However, by then, the young teen had already launched herself at the older man, nearly screaming his name.

She would never admit this out loud to anyone, but out of her all of her relatives, she liked her grandfather the most. He was awesome. It wasn't because he was wise. It wasn't because he gave the best hugs. It wasn't because he whacked his own son on the head on occasion. It was because he could still block her swinging kick. "Mayu-chan, I do wish you would greet me normally," Shohei said as Mayu lowered her leg. She shrugged and stated that there was no fun in that. "My, my, you've certainly grown. Are you sixteen now?" he questioned as he patted her head. Unlike his wife, Shohei was very tall. He also retained most of his dark hair.

"_Nah_, not until two months," Mayu replied. "So are the room arrangements the same or do I get my own room this time?"

"Yes, you will get your own room. Your uncle has a home of his own now," Shohei answered.

"_Ooh_! Is he coming to visit?"

"Yes, as will your other uncle." The older man ushered the girl towards the stairs. "Put your things in the rooms. Your parents and I have something to discuss."

"Kay!" Mayu didn't see anything wrong with that, and so she grabbed as many suitcases as she could before going up the steps, leading to the next floor. Her movements to the next level were slow. The process of finding her father's old room was equally slow. She didn't want to drop any of the heavy suitcases. Her mother would maim her if something of hers broke. Straining, Mayu turned the doorknob and twisted, and then pushed open the door. Quickly, she moved over to the bed. With a relieved sigh, she dumped the suitcases onto the bed.

Technically, this room belong to her father and his older brother—Ishikari Ryosuke, the middle child. That's why there were two beds. Last time Mayu and her parents had visited, she had to share a room with them. It was weird because she had to listen to her parents giggling and kissing each other. They didn't go any further with her in the room, pretending to be asleep, but she would rather not have to go through that again. Luckily she didn't have to this time around.

Smiling to herself, Mayu grabbed only her suitcase and scurried out of the room. Her father's oldest brother's room was right across the hall. It was the second biggest bedroom in the house with the best view. After dropping her suitcase, Mayu walked over to the window. She could see the whole town from here—not to mention the mountain. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. She loved this place. Never would she tell her father that she felt more at home here than in Tokyo. There was something about this place. Although she had only been here a few times, she felt connected somehow. Probably because this was the place where every Ishikari family member resided, except for her father. He had always been the black sheep of the family.

Then again, his desire to be away from this place—and his incessant bitching, according to Uncle Ryosuke—led Grandmother Hitomi to send him to a high school in Tokyo, thus her father met her mother. So it wasn't all bad. Mayu backed away from the window and sat down on the edge of the bed. With a sigh, she fell back. She wasn't necessarily tired, but that had been a long trip. Her body probably needed to rest. After all, she had fought sleep several times during the ride. Just as she was about to close her eyes, someone cleared their throat.

Mayu sat up and looked towards the door. It had been her father. "Were you about to take a nap?" he asked. The young teen nodded her head. "That's fine. Your mother will rest as well while I unpack."

"Okay, I'll unpack when I wake up." Mayu noticed the tight frown on her father's face, yet didn't comment on it. That was only because she had commented on it before, during the trip. Chinoutori had only given a vague answer. She had not understood him, but obviously something was bothering him. Perhaps it had something to do with why her mother was so moody lately. Mayu scratched her cheek. "If I'm not up before dinnertime could you wake me, dad? I wanna help grandpa with the cooking!"

"_Ah_… Yes, of course, Mayu-chan." He smiled a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. His eyelids lowered a bit as he closed the door. Mayu scratched her cheek, and then lied back down on the bed. Her parents were behaving so strangely. It had started soon after she graduated from junior high school, too. But did _she_ have room to talk? They weren't the only ones. Still, their strange behavior had become increasingly noticeable since the start of the trip. Her usual happy father had frowned a lot. Her mother, usually loud and teasing her father in some way, had become almost lethargic. The woman was by no means a lazy person.

"_I wonder what's up with them…"_ Mayu shut her eyes and turned on her side. She supposed she would find out sooner or later. Their shift in behavior had something to do with being here, that was certain. Come to think of it, they had behaved this way the last time, too. Yeah, it was pretty certain that the location had something to do with it. An inaudible yawn made Mayu realize how tired she actually was. Eventually, she would get to the bottom of this problem, but for now, it was time to let the sand man do his thing. A chuckle escaped her lips. "_Haha_… Gaara-kun…" she murmured, sleepily.

0-0

Mayu woke with a start. Nearly drenched in sweat, she panted lightly, eyes wide open. _"That was…"_ Her hand reached up, clenching the part of her shirt that covered her chest. Her heart pounded. She wished this reoccurring dream would stop ending the same way _every_ time. Mayu squeezed her eyes shut. Dying in a dream really sucked. Finally, the girl opened her eyes and looked around. The room had taken on an orange tint. Her gaze drifted to the window. The sun was in the middle of setting. She rubbed at her left eye as she yawned.

"_Guess I wasn't sleeping that long,"_she thought, moving to standing. Raising her arms, she stretched, and then brought then down, reaching for her ankles. For a few moments, Mayu continued stretching—something she did whenever she woke up, nap or otherwise. Once done, she headed towards the door. The sounds of conversation reached her ears—more than two voices. There were others here. They sounded familiar, too. Suddenly grinning, Mayu nearly leapt down the stairs and rushed towards the room where the voices were coming from. In the living room, her two uncles and father abruptly cut their conversation short upon noticing her. "Uncle!"

"Mayu-tan~!" Ishikari Tetsu, the oldest of the brothers, stood up from his chair. With quick movements, he stood in front of her, and then embraced her in a bear hug, even lifting her off the ground. "You're so-" He set her back down. "Why are you wet?" he questioned.

"Oh, I had a dream… where I had to beat up people to become the best international fighter," Mayu lied perfectly. She had once told her mother about the actual dream, but the woman had gotten highly upset, so she opted not to mention it again. "I woke up before I could get the trophy and prize money, though." She feigned disappointment.

"You're so cute, Mayu-tan!" Her uncle poked his lips out, intending to plant a kiss to her forehead as he had done so—a lot—in the past. However, just like the other times, he was stopped by Ryosuke. The younger brother had grabbed the back of Tetsu's collar and yanked him back, comically choking him.

"Stop harassing our niece," he said coolly. Ignoring his brother's sputters, Ryosuke greeted Mayu with a small smile. "You look well, Mayu—exercising daily, I hope?" The girl nodded. "That's good." The man was a doctor. He was always asking about or commenting on a person's health. He often gave his own mother lectures about smoking. She only told him to 'jack off and leave me be.' Seriously. "Is your mother still sleeping?"

"I guess," Mayu answered with a shrug.

"That is somewhat okay. In her condition, she should rest, but she shouldn't get too much of it," Ryosuke stated. The girl blinked.

"Condition…?" she murmured.

"Yes-" Despite the loud and obvious way Chinotori tried to change the subject, his brother continued. "Your mother's with child." His younger brother smacked his palm to his forehead. That is what caught his attention. "What? You didn't tell her?"

"I was _going_ to!"

Ryosuke merely scoffed, unperturbed that he had just revealed a big surprise. "Mom's _pregnant_? I'm going to be a big sister? Oh my god!" Mayu exclaimed. "How come you didn't tell me, dad?" Her father appeared quite apologetic and stated that he was actually going to tell the whole family tonight over dinner. Chinoutori then glared at his older brother. Ryosuke remained unconcerned.

"But he had to go and ruin it with his doctor evaluation before I could get the chance!"

"I can't help it if I'm just that good." Ryosuke was very conceited about his skills. But he was good. He probably figured out Sheena was pregnant at a glance. "Anyway, it's getting dark. Don't you think it's time, little brother?" Chinoutori narrowed his eyes, and then shifted his gaze to his daughter. She still had a dreamy expression on her face as Tetsu hugged her tightly, repeatedly calling her cute. The father stood up abruptly, causing all previous movement in the room to halt.

"Mayu, come with me," he ordered. The teen blinked at the shift in the atmosphere. It had suddenly turned serious. Even her affectionate uncle had released her. Mayu nodded her head, and then followed her father towards the front door. After they left the house, the two walked in silence. Five minutes passed. In those five minutes, Mayu couldn't help but to look at her father with worried eyes. It wasn't like him to have such a conflicted aura. At last, father and daughter came to a stop in front of a vending machine. "What would you like—orange juice?" The teen nodded her head.

As her father focused on the vending machine, Mayu's eyes drifted. She recognized this place. They were in a small park now. She didn't notice that this was their destination. Well, was this their destination, or was her father just thirsty? The small box of orange was tossed without warning, but Mayu managed to catch it after fumbling with it. "Dad…?" Chinoutori grunted as he opened his tea. "Is there something you want to tell me?" The man froze in the middle of taking a sip. The teen lowered her eyelids as she poked a hole in the box with the straw. "I don't mind if you beat around the bush, but I wish you would tell me." She placed the straw in her mouth. "Are you going to tell me?" she asked before sipping on her cold beverage.

"_Ah_… You're so perceptive, Mayu-chan," her father remarked. The girl scratched her cheek a bit at the compliment. Chinoutori drank a bit of his tea before sighing out. "Do you want to know how your mother and I got together?"

"No."

"So cruel, Mayu-chan! You used to always want to hear!"

"Yeah, when I was younger," Mayu replied with a shrug. "Does have something to do with you and mom's behavior lately?" Slowly, her father nodded. The girl sighed. "You really are going to beat around the bush, aren't you?" The parent scowled at the child. "Then fine. Please tell me."

"As you already know, Shee-chan and I encountered one another in high school," Chinoutori began. "However, it wasn't until much later, after high school, that we began seeing each other."

"_Ah_, so mom was intimidating back then as well? Or were you a coward and didn't talk to her?"

"Hey, I used to be the coolest guy in high school!"

"Not cool enough to talk with mom apparently." Mayu smirked as she averted her eyes. Her father almost roared, causing the girl to giggle. "But I'm not wrong, right?" Chinoutori scoffed and pouted.

"My eyes were… always glued to her," he murmured. "I wasn't the only one of course. That first year must have been awkward for her. I did want to talk to her, but I was a bit of a foreigner myself. I guess I didn't have enough courage. It was like I had every opportunity to approach her, but I couldn't bring myself to do it even when I knew she was struggling with the language." Chinoutori sighed loudly. "By second year though, she had become fluent, and didn't mind speaking with other students. It wasn't long before she had friends and admirers."

"_Ooh_, were you jealous?"

"No! That didn't happen until later! After…" He trailed off, shifting his eyes to the sky. He swallowed hard, recalling the memory. "After I made physical contact with her—that's when I started seeing her as a woman. We both had cleaning duty. We had just finished cleaning the room and we were about to leave when she sharply turned and ran into me. We both fell to the floor."

"_Kyaa_~! Just like shoujo?" Mayu squealed and held her cheeks. "Did you accidently _kiss_? Was it your _first_?" Chinoutori gave his daughter a blank look, and then rolled his eyes. He had forgotten about Mayu's guilty pleasure of reading romance manga.

"No, Mayu-chan, there was no kiss," he replied. She seemed highly disappointed with that. "We had quickly untangled ourselves. She apologized and explained that she had left her law books in the classroom. That's when I realized she wanted to be a lawyer. I thought she was cool that she already knew exactly what she wanted to be. Before that I hadn't thought of a future career for myself. I had decided to become a bartender after that."

"Lame."

"Quiet you!"

"So did you and mom become friends?"

"No, not really. We didn't have another conversation after that." Mayu frowned and shook her head. She also remarked that her father was 'uncool.' She had said so in English, too. Such a cruel daughter he had. Chinoutori lowered his eyes to the ground. A small smile crossed his face. "We didn't have another conversation until years after our graduation when she walked into the bar where I worked. I hadn't noticed her until the other customers began whispering about the foreigner. I looked up and our eyes happened to meet." Mayu gasped.

"Did you instantly recognize each other?"

"No."

"_Haah_… Your story would so not become a drama—so disappointing."

"Not all relationships start with sugary goodness."

"Boring! Did you at least get her phone number by this point?"

"Actually, I got more than that! I got a kiss," he sounded smug. Mayu's eyes lit up. "She was drunk, though." Her excitement crumbled. "She was so drunk that she didn't even talk Japanese anymore. I had to take her home because I felt sorry for her. I didn't realize it was Shee-chan until we were at my apartment and I found her ID. In her drunken state, she recognized me and called me taka, though."

"Well, hawk is a type of bird," Mayu stated. "What happened then? When do you kiss?"

_Taka-kun…? Oh, it's you. I've always liked you!_

"… is what she said before taking the kiss by force," Chinoutori announced.

"_Haha_! That sounds like mom!"

"The next morning wasn't pleasant, though. She assumed things and nearly killed me, but after the situation was explained, she calmed down," he continued. "We had a couple problems, but a year of dating later, she agreed to marry me." The man finished off his canned tea. "I brought her here to meet my family. At first, they were wary of her, but eventually she showed them how cool she was. Tetsu had a small crush on her."

"_Ew_…"

"We married here as well, and it was on that day… you were born."

"Shotgun wedding?" Mayu exclaimed.

"No… In other words, Shee-chan and I… found you."

His words shocked the young teen to her very core. Staring wide-eyed at her father, Mayu's lips parted. Her head shook a bit, not understanding—not _wanting_ to understand. He couldn't mean that in the literal sense, right? There was just no way. Her father… He couldn't seriously mean what he'd said. An uneasy chuckle came from the girl's mouth. "What? What are you talking about, dad?" He smiled sadly.

"After the ceremony, we visited the Ishikari shrine a few miles away from the bathhouse. It's tradition in our family for newly married couples to do so—to visit the Ishikari of the past. That is when you appeared before us." Mayu swallowed hard. No, this couldn't be true. "We brought you back. Ryosuke concluded that you were nine years old. However, you had no memories beside your name."

"What are you saying? We're not related? You picked me up like a stray cat? I won't believe this! You're lying!"

"Mayu… Haven't you ever wondered why you are the only one to have blue eyes in our family?"

Her body slumped. Actually, she had wondered about that quite a few times. She had always been so different from everyone else. No one had questioned her skin color when they realized who her mother was, but they were very curious about the color of her eyes. She had told her classmates that it was genetics. She had said and believed that it was a recessive gene in both her parents' families, and when they came together, a baby with her mother's skin and blue eyes was born. But now… Her father was saying her genetics didn't come from them—that they weren't her real parents. No way…

"You must have wondered why you can't remember anything before the age of nine."

"There… There… are plenty of people who can't remember that time in their lives."

"I believe," he continued as though he didn't hear her. "My family believes that you come from a parallel universe just as our ancestors did before."

"What?"

"Three generations ago, Ishikari Mitsuo appeared in this town with no previous records, alone with a woman he eventually married. She had no records as well. As this place was even smaller back then, no one questioned their arrival. They had children, and their children had children. I am a descendant of those two who appeared out of nowhere," Chinoutori stated. "Although the two had forgotten things of their past lives, their stories were told and passed down through the generations. In those stories, it states that the two were sent here by use of a powerful jutsu, belonging to the Ishikari clan. Legend states that a child would appear in the same manner. However, this child could not stay as they had done. The child would be pulled back and eventually stay back permanently."

"I don't understand," Mayu whispered, and then repeated the sentence in a shout.

"Genetically, you are Ishikari—Ryosuke confirmed that as well—but you are not my offspring. You are a descendant of Mitsuo, but you are my ancestor as well."

The juice box dropped from her hand. Mayu took a step back. It felt as though her whole world was caving in, only to shatter. Her throat constricted. She couldn't breathe. Her heart felt as it had stopped. Why was he doing this to her? Why was he saying these impossible things? Impossible. This was impossible. Jutsu…? Legend…? _Impossible_! Mayu shuddered, taking a half step back. That is when her father dropped to his knees, head bowed low. His empty can clanged against the cement, snapping the teen out of her thoughts. She focused her sight on the kneeling man.

"Forgive me, Mayu!" he exclaimed. "I know this may be hard for you to digest. You were led to believe that I am your father, so accepting this—your heart doesn't want to. But I ask you to think with your mind. This is the truth. This has always been the truth!"

Mayu gasped. He was right. She needed to calm down. Her feelings for this person in front of her were preventing her from thinking logically. Shutting her eyes, she breathed deeply. So that dream… hadn't been a dream at all. "Ishikari Style…" she muttered. _"Mind Transfer Jutsu…"_ she finished in thought. This whole time of having these reoccurring dream—they weren't necessarily dreams. Perhaps memories…? At one point she had inhabited the body of Haruno Sakura, a person she believed to be a fictional character. _"Parallel universe, huh?"_

The girl moved forward, and then slowly dropped to her father's level. He hesitantly met her eye. "Mayu…" Chinoutori mumbled. If what this man said is true, he had raised her as his own for seven years. He and his wife raised a complete stranger. Could she blame him for lying to her for all these years? Would she have even believed it? Even now, she almost didn't want to believe it. But… it seemed as though she had no choice in the matter. "If its proof you want, I can show you."

"Please, don't bow to be," Mayu responded. "It's weird."

"Mayu-chan…" He moved to stand. She did as well. Chinoutori shut his eyelids. "Let me show you our eyes." His brow furrowed as he face took on a look of concentration. Now that she thought about it, she had overheard her parents before, after she had woken up from her coma that first time. Her father had mentioned that she didn't have the eyes. He also said something about carrying out a technique. "Every person with Ishikari blood through their veins has these eyes. Let me show you our secret bloodline." Upon seeing the change in color in her father's eyes, Mayu could only gape in shock… and slight horror.

0-0

Mayu knocked on the door. She waited a few moments before entering. Expectedly, Ishikari Sheena was looking over documents—probably from her job. The teen shook and her head, and then shut the door behind her. The closing creak made the woman look up from the stack of papers. The two stared at one another. Finally, the older female sighed heavily and shifted her eyes back down. "Judging from the look on your face, he's told you everything?" The girl walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. She dipped her chin, focusing on the floor. "So you realize that I am not your real mother." Mayu sharply turned her head.

"You may not be my biological mother, but you are my mother!" she nearly shouted. "I won't ever forget that!"

"Mayu…" The woman suddenly smirked. She set the papers down. "Such a good girl, you are." The corner of her lips dropped. "So you're going back?"

"Yes." Mayu frowned as well. "According to the legend, I must… even though I don't believe in it. It sounds pretentious." Sheena chuckled lightly. "But yeah… Now that I know, I can't go on without knowing everything. In order for that to happen, I want to go back. I would rather not leave, though."

"No, I understand. I've been trying to ignore your 'birth' for your years. After that first time where your mind was pulled, I knew for sure, but I didn't want that, and so I tried to suppress you," Sheena stated. "And then when you were unconscious again, but didn't recall anything while you were out, I thought maybe…" A soft sigh came from her lips. "But your sudden lack of motivation to do anything—both your father and I knew the reason for it. It's because you are meant to do more—to _be_ more. Your grandfather said that Mitsuo and his wife were the same way."

"So you knew about this family before you married dad?" Mayu questioned.

"_Nah, he sprung it on me after we found you_," she used her native tongue. The girl responded with a laugh. "I didn't know everything until a week later, though." She sighed heavily. "I married a swindler, and now I'm having his kid. Can't escape now."

"Thought of a name yet?"

"No. I'm only two months in."

"That shouldn't matter. I think you should name it Mayumi if it's a girl!"

"Why?"

"I don't know." Mayu shrugged. "I've always liked the name." For awhile, the two sat in silence. At last, the younger Ishikari crawled on the bed, towards the woman. Her arms wrapped around Sheena in a tight hug. "I love you, mom." Her eyes squeezed shut. "That won't change even if my memories of my real family return." Sheena returned the embrace, tearing up a bit. Mother and daughter remained in this position for quite some time before a knock on the door was heard. They broke apart, looking towards the door. Ishikari Shohei made himself known.

"It is time," he said. Both female stood from the bed. They followed the older man down the stairs. They continued to go down, into the basement where Hitomi, Tetsu, Ryosuke, and Chinoutori awaited. The old woman held a cigarette between her fingers. She raised a brow, and then blew out a puff of smoke.

"Let's get this over with," she muttered, squishing her cigarette against the wall she had been leaning against. Hitomi walked over to Mayu, grabbed her wrist and led her over to her uncles and father. Chinoutori and Ryosuke stood opposite from each other a few feet apart. Tetsu stood off to the side. Shohei completed the square when he walked over. Blue eyes looked at each member of her surrogate family before nodding her head. Hitomi walked back over to her mother, allowing the younger woman to latch on to her for support. With a roll of her eyes, she spoke again. "You can never come back, so don't attempt to."

"Jeez, granny, I'll miss you, too," Mayu retorted.

"She's right, though," Ryosuke stated. "Whatever you may face in that place, you must never use the forbidden jutsu of your clan again."

"I got it."

"Then let's proceed," Shohei announced. The four males sat, folding their legs and facing towards the teen. Perfectly in sync, their hands came together. Mayu recognized it as the ram sign. Frowning, she closed her eyes. So this was really happening, _huh_? She, apparently, was returning to a place that was her true home—the home of ninja. Would she be okay just going back like this? It didn't matter at this point. She would find out anyway. Mayu opened her eyes, hearing the slapping of hands. "Transfer mind…!" The girl grabbed her head, feeling as though her brain was being ripped from her skull. A painful grunt came from the teen.

"Transfer body…" Ryosuke continued. Mayu suddenly felt cold. An unnatural wind made her shiver.

"Transfer soul!" Tetsu exclaimed. The girl's head sprung back. A silent scream shook her body.

"Forbidden Ninja Art!" Chinoutori slowly opened his eyes, as did the rest of his male family members. Four pairs of deep red eyes focused on the frozen teen. In unison, the males cried out. "Transportation of Ishikari… Liberation!" A blinding light exploded from the girl's body. There came a scream, but it was only quickly as it had come. Everything seemed to stop. Hesitantly, everyone in the room opened their eyes. All was still. Ryosuke was the first to stand.

"It worked," he murmured. "Mayu has gone back to her own world."

"Mayu-tan~!" Tetsu whimpered, already missing his niece's presence.

"Stop talking like that! For God sake, you're a grown man," Hitomi told her son. "Barely." Tetsu pouted.

"I hope… she'll be alright," Chinoutori said.

"The blood of Ishikari runs strongly through her veins. She will be fine," Shohei replied. Still, the group lowered their heads. It was the last time. Ishikari Mayu had returned to her rightful place.

* * *

><p>As this was the first chapter, I hope you weren't expecting too much. We'll get to the good stuff later. Please review, my pretties!<p> 


	2. Home is

Gradually, Mayu opened her eyes. She lied on her back, blankly staring up at the night sky. Where the hell was her ceiling? No… That's right. No longer was she in a world that she knew. Similar, yes, but definitely not the place she knew. Beneath her, she felt grass. Her head hurt, too. Had her surrogate family really been successful? Finally, the teen slowly sat up. This did wonders for the headache issue. Unceremoniously, Mayu practically emptied her stomach. Luckily, she had moved her head enough to where's the puke didn't get on her clothes. Her hand, though, didn't make it out unsoiled.

Grimacing, she wiped her palm on the grass before she moved to stand. It would appear that throwing up actually made her feel better. The headache was seemingly fading. Good. She couldn't deal with headaches _and_ figuring out where the heck she had ended up. She looked to be in a clearing. Just great. Abandoned in unfamiliar territory. "And why couldn't I be dropped off somewhere in the Sand village?" she murmured. Years had passed, and yet Mayu still found the fictional red head absolutely adorable even though she had no longer watched the series. But… She supposed he wasn't so fictional anymore, as well as the rest of the characters from _Naruto_, what she thought was just a story.

According to her father—surrogate father—it was merely an alternate dimension. Yeah, just throw those theories out of the window. It's all true. Sighing, Mayu mentally scolded herself. Now wasn't the time for sarcasm. She needed to find some form of civilization. Her eyelids shut, heightening her other senses. However, all she could hear was the nightlife of nature. A heavy sigh came forth. What was he thinking, sending her to the middle of nowhere? All there was out here was crickets chirping, owls hooting, and- Mayu's eyebrows furrowed. Was that… fire crackling? Her head snapped in the direction of where she heard the familiar sound. She knew it. Her surrogate grandparents had a fireplace in their home. She had loved falling asleep in front of it when she was younger.

"_It must be human,"_ Mayu thought, walking in that direction. At the very least, perhaps she could be told where she was. It took only three minutes to reach the flames. However, there was not a person in sight. The girl chewed her lower lip. This was turning into a bad situation. Being sent back, only to die in most likely twenty-four hours. Mayu sighed heavily at the thought. _"Oh well,"_ she thought. The fire didn't seem to be dying. The person, or group of people, had to be somewhere close. She could either wait for their return or go looking for them. _"It'd be pretty boring here, waiting. Besides, they might think I'm so__me kinda-" _The thought immediately was cut off. As she was thinking, the girl had made her mind up and moved to turn around. Too bad there was a kunai pointed right at her—right between the eyes, too. Mayu twitched, pushing down her fear and quite girlish scream before shifting her irises.

The person behind the kunai was a man. He had successfully caused irritation. Why? It's because he seemed to appear out of nowhere. She hadn't sensed him _at all_. His dark green eyes glared at her. Mayu frowned. Why was he the one that looked offended? She wasn't pointing a sharp pointy weapon at _his_ face. He was taller than her, too. His entire presence seemed more intimidating than a mere teenager. He had to be older than twenty, yet younger than thirty-five. A dark blue hat sat on top of his head, covering his hair. The stranger wore a green trench coat. Under it, he wore a dark blue shirt and black pants. Black boots covered his feet. "Who sent you?"

"That's the first thing you ask a person you've just met?" Mayu asked. "How _rude_ of you!" With her left hand, she grabbed his right wrist and bent it back, forcing the kunai's tip away from her. As a follow up, her right leg lifted. Her exposed foot collided with the stranger's chin. Eyes wide and yelping in pain, the man's head sprung back. Mayu finished the assault by knocking him to the ground with her already raised leg. The sole of her foot had stuck his torso. The airborne kunai's hilt was grabbed before it hit the ground. "You're… not a ninja," she observed, swirling the deadly object around with her index finger. "Why are you going around carrying something like this?" She shook her head a bit. "No, that's not really important. What is important is why you think someone _sent_ me? Are you a dangerous person?"

"… You're not a bounty hunter?" The pained man removed his hands from his face. Blood slid down his nostrils. "No one sent you to capture me?"

"If that were the case, I would have already dropped the pleasantries," Mayu replied. She had stopped the kunai's movement. "You seem pretty weak."

"Now who's being rude?" The man's voice turned sarcastic.

"I said _seem_ pretty weak—_jeez_," Mayu murmured. "Anyway, why are there people after you? You still haven't answered if you're dangerous or not."

"I'm…" He groaned and covered his nose. "Forgive my manners." Standing up, he bowed a bit. "My name is Kazuhiro Zai. I am not dangerous." At Mayu's skeptic expression, he continued. "Perhaps there are still people after me. However, I assure you that it isn't because of anything dangerous. Because of my line of work, bounty hunters are looking for me."

"And what is your line of work, Kazuhiro-san?" Mayu inquired.

"… Retrieval specialist," he answered. "But it's nothing extravagant. I have only worked for those in smaller villages. Ninja bounty hunters aren't after me."

"Then where'd you get this kunai?"

"Found it lying around," Zai stated. "It would be silly to leave something like that just out like that. Kids could get their hands on it, so I picked it up."

"I see."

"… _Eh_, excuse me, but… You never mentioned your name," Zai said.

"_Hm_… My name is Ishikari Mayu."

"Could I ask… why you are out here so late?"

"Honestly," Mayu began. "I don't even know where _here_ is. The work of a jutsu brought me to this place."

"You're a ninja then?"

"Nope."

"… Well, it seems that you're lost," Zai muttered, reaching into his pocket. He pulled a small dark cloth from his pocket. Then he wiped the blood from his face. Mayu watched him with narrowed eyes. Finally, she spoke, asking where the nearest Hidden Village was. "The closest…? I suppose it would be the Leaf Village in the Fire Country. However, it's many days away. Right now, our current location is two days' walk from the Fishing Village in the Tea Country."

"… This still sounds pretty far from the Leaf…"

"Is the Leaf Village where you hail from, Ishikari-san?"

"… Yes, I suppose it is," Mayu responded. Her gaze shifted to the ground for only a moment. She returned her stare to Zai. "Kazuhiro-san, I have a proposition for you." The man raised an eyebrow. "Allow me to accompany you." He looked about ready to protest. Mayu held up her hand, stopping him. "Before you say anything, let me finish." The teen cleared her throat. "I am by myself. I have no relation with anyone in this world. I am an orphan with no friends or family. I don't even have shoes. I'm sure I could take care of myself when it comes to _some_ of the dangers of this world, but… as far as food and water goes, I'd die by the end of the week being so far from home." Zai appeared slightly guilty. Mayu mentally smirked. She _knew_ it. He was an honest man. This man could be trusted—at least enough for her to travel with him. "My becoming your companion, at least until we come across the Leaf Village would benefit us both. I could be your protection against normal bounty hunters, so you wouldn't have to worry about them. You can teach me how to use chakra. Both of us together would extinguish the loneliness to an extent, of course."

"Ch… Chakra…? What makes you think I know?" Zai asked.

"I couldn't hear you at all when you snuck up on me," Mayu answered. "Also, you obviously sensed me coming and prepared for my arrival by hiding, thinking to take me off guard. Only a ninja, or a person with ninja training, would think like that." The teen placed her hands on her hips. She had used chakra before. However, that had been several years ago, _and_ in another person's body. What she needed now—to survive in this world—was proper chakra training. This guy was her best shot, being in unfamiliar territory. "Just because you're not wearing a forehead protector doesn't mean anything."

"How… observant of you, Ishikari-san."

"Kazuhiro-san, do we have a deal? It's not like I'm asking you to teach me any jutsu—just tree climbing and possibly water walking."

"I…" He seemed hesitant. Then he sighed heavily. "I guess I can't just leave you barefooted here. Yes, we have a deal. However, due to my line of work, I'm afraid we will have to part ways at some point."

"That's fine." Mayu extended her hand to the man. "Please take care of me." Zai blinked twice before grasping the teen's hand.

"Likewise," he nodded.

0-0

Annoyed, Mayu stared up at the large red gates of the Hidden Leaf Village. She was panting heavily as well. She had run all the way here from that small village. It wasn't really the best idea. At the moment, her body seemed highly upset with her. Aching, trembling—the very thought of continuing to move put a strain on her whole body. According to Zai, the trip from that village to this place would take a whole day. Mayu sighed heavily, closing her eyes. She had stupidly thought it would be a good test to see how fast she could get here after a month and a half of training of Kazuhiro Zai. Indeed, she had managed to get here in half the time. Still, she was extremely fatigued.

The teen shook her head. No, she could go on. Pushing pass her tiredness, Mayu trudged forward. Surprisingly, she was stopped. Her head turned left. She recognized the two ninja of the Leaf. They were Kotetsu and Izumo—two chuunin-level ninja. They appeared the same as the last time she had seen them, which is when they were first introduced on the show. Mayu frowned as she walked over to the station. Did this mean the timeline was around the Sand and Sound invasion? "Is there a problem?" Mayu asked.

"We've never seen you around before," Izumo stated the obvious. He was the one who wore his headband like a bandana, which covered most of his hair. The brown hair that could be seen was combed down and covering his right eye. The girl tried not to scowl. "Do you have any form of identification?"

"I don't," Mayu answered.

"… Where are you from?" Kotetsu asked. He was the spiky-haired ninja of the duo. For some strange reason, the bridge of his nose was covered by a bandage. Mayu scratched her cheek, looking upward to the sky in thought. Her surrogate father, Ishikari Chinoutori, had told her that her birthplace was the Leaf Village. He had stated that her mind was pulled here twice already. The first time hadn't been a dream and the second time she couldn't remember at all. Then again, she could barely remember the first time either, only that she inhabited the body of Haruno Sakura and that she had 'died' at the end of it. But that was only an assumption based on the reoccurring dreams—that have yet to _stop_, by the way. With a sigh, Mayu answered the man. At times like this, she wished her memory was as good as her fighting abilities.

"I am returning here after a prolonged vacation!" she replied. At their skeptical exchanged looks, Mayu continued. "Unfortunately, I was attacked by bandits, and they took everything except for what I'm wearing." She had long ago burned her former attire. Now she wore a blue tank top, a black jacket, gray pants, and black knee high boots. Admittedly, she had let Zai do her shopping for her as she didn't want to bother with it. She was one of the few females in the world that did not like shopping for clothes, after all. The only thing she had been in charge of was her hairstyle. Wearing it in a high ponytail was more practical than keeping it down as she had in the past. Her bangs, which covered the sides of her face, would sometimes get in the way due to the wind, but that was about it, so she didn't feel the need to do anything about them.

"Do you know anyone in the village that can verify your identity?" Izumo questioned.

"No, as far as I know, not one. You see, I also lost my memory," Mayu stated. The guards took on suspicious expressions. Well, that did sound a bit farfetched, didn't it? "Really! The only thing I can remember is my name, my birthplace, and the reason I left this place, so I came back here."

"A likely story," Kotetsu muttered.

"It's the truth, though!"

"If what you say is true, then I'm sure we should be able to find your file, right?" Izumo suggested. Mayu shifted her gaze for just a second. That might be a hard thing to do. Chinoutori had mentioned that her clan was a bit of a secret. _Haha_. This was bad. She hadn't thought her presence in the Leaf Village would cause such a big fuss. Then again, her skin was different than most. According to Zai, he had seen others with dark skin so her appearance wasn't shocking. In response, Mayu shrugged her shoulders.

"Dude, I already said I didn't have any memories," she crossed her arms. "I guess we'll find out at the same time, right?" At her cheeky comment, Izumo scowled. "Shall we go now?" Only Izumo stood up. He looked about ready to say something. However, something caught his eye, and he set his sights on something else. Mayu refocused on her gaze as well. Entering the village was a group of people… and a giant… wolf? No. It was a dog. She recognized the dog, too. _"Aka… Akamaru…?"_ she thought. He had gotten _huge_. _"That means-"_ Her eyes settled on the person on the large dog's back. Inuzuka Kiba. He didn't wear that big coat anymore. In fact, it was now a black jacket, looking leather in material, equipped with multiple zippers. His pants and shoes were black, including his headband.

On his right side was Aburame Shino. He hadn't changed much at all. If anything, he had gotten a bit creepier. Most of his face was covered due to the big collar of his dark jacket, which was under a green, hooded jacket. She wouldn't have recognized if he had been by himself. Then her eyes went to the left of Kiba.

Hyuga Hinata. So cute—_cuter_ than the last time Mayu had seen her. Her hair was no longer short. Her dark hair had noticeable grown longer. She didn't have the beige coat anymore. Now she wore a long sleeve purple and white jacket, blue pants, and heeled ninja sandals. She still wore her headband around her neck, but the color was now black. Though her jacket was zipped up, the mesh shirt underneath was visible.

The three all looked older. That meant that everyone that graduated at the same time were all older now, too. Mayu's eyes narrowed. _"This must be… Shippuden?"_ In all honesty, she had stopped watching the show, but there were talks of it among the anime club at her school. Ichiro had been the president. He had gushed how much cuter Hinata had gotten, causing Megumi to become jealous. Those moments between them were always so funny because the two, at the time, had no idea they liked each other. Gosh, she missed her friends. Pushing back her memories of that different world, Mayu began paying attention again.

Kotetsu had called Team 8 over. Now the curious eyes of Kiba were on her. Hinata's gaze was on her as well, but she appeared pensive, not curious. She couldn't even begin to comprehend what Shino's expression was. "You're going to hand in your mission's report, right?" Kotetsu asked. "Could you do us a favor and escort this girl to the Hokage? She apparently belongs to the village, yet has no identification on her."

"_Huh_…? She seems familiar." Kiba hopped from Akamaru's back and walked towards Mayu. The teen reared back when the shinobi leaned forward. He appeared to be… sniffing her. "Have we met?"

"_Up close like this, Kiba's actually cute,"_ Mayu thought. She then shook her head. As far as she was concerned, she was Haruno Sakura for a short period of time. That day on the bridge was the last thing she recalled. She couldn't have met Kiba before. "I don't believe-" The guy didn't seem to care about her answer anyway. He had turned his head and addressed his female teammate, while pointing at Mayu.

"Hey, Hinata! Doesn't this girl seem familiar to you?" he asked. The Hyuga walked forward as well. Unlike her teammate, she did not invade Mayu's personal bubble.

"I feel… something," Hinata admitted. "What is your name?" The girl cleared her throat and took a step back from Kiba.

"My name is Ishikari Mayu. Please take care of me." She gave a humble bow. When she looked up, she was surprised to see the two members of Team 8 staring at her as if she were a ghost. Mayu took another step back. "Wha-What?" she stuttered, feeling a bit freaked by their looks. All she said was her _name_. Oh no…! What if her clan was bloodthirsty and was known as fugitives? No, what if they were dead and it really was like they were seeing a ghost? Mentally, the girl scolded herself. _"Get a grip, Mayu! Your clan'__s a secret!"_ Besides, Kotetsu and Izumo were looking between her and the two younger ninja, appearing mildly confused. "Is there-" She was interrupted.

"M-Mayu…?" Hinata had been the perpetrator. "Is it… Is it really _you_?" The girl shifted awkwardly under their intense gazes.

"Well, I've been called Mayu all my life, so… _eheh_," she laughed nervously. "Sup?"

"No, she's asking if you're really you!" Kiba said, raising his voice a bit. "Are you a clone or is this your real body?"

"_Clone…?"_ Mayu blinked. "_Um_… Yeah, this is me," she uneasily answered. Obviously, she was terribly confused. She became even more confused when Hyuga _Hinata_ launched herself forward, wrapping her arms around her body in a tight embrace. Not to mention, she screamed out her name, too. _"Befuddled… This is what it feels like to be befuddled!"_ Mayu had to brace herself so that the two wouldn't fall to the ground. _"Since when is Hinata so gregarious?"_

"_Eh_…? You know this girl?" Kotetsu asked.

"They do seem to be in the same age group," Izumo remarked.

"Of course I know her," Hinata said, releasing her hold on Mayu. Although she answered, her lavender eyes remained on the swirly-eyed teen in front of her. Her smile was wide and bright. "She's my best friend."

"Wait, wait—what?" Mayu took another couple of steps back. "Since _when_ am I friends with Hyuga Hinata?"

"Mayu…?" Hinata blinked, appearing a bit hurt. "You… You've never thought of me as… a friend?"

"What? I don't-"

"Wait, Hyuga-sama!" Izumo's exclamation brought all focus on him. "This girl claims she has lost her memories." The two girls returned their attention to each other.

"Lost your… memories? You don't remember me?" Hinata asked.

"Sorry… I don't," Mayu replied. She then grinned. "But you seem to know me, so help me out, _kay_?"

0-0

She could not believe it. After two years, Mayu had finally returned. Hinata turned her focus from her departing teammates, whom were going to continue on to the Hokage's to report, to the teen who idly beside her. After a bit explaining, and a few white lies, the two guards had allowed the group to pass into the village. It had been a silent walk up to this point. Kiba and Shino had decided to go on, allowing Hinata to catch up with her old friend. Her dark skin and blue eyes—Hinata should have realized it was her sooner. That didn't matter, though. The Hyuga found herself smiling. Her friend had come back. Oh, how she had missed her. Gradually, the darker teen shifted her attention back to her. "So… Hinata-chan… We knew each other? Could you tell me about it?" she asked.

"Of course," Hinata replied. "I am surprised you remember nothing. Could it have been the work of the jutsu that sent you away?"

"_Hm_…" Mayu scratched her cheek, looking around. "Is there somewhere private we can talk?" The kunoichi slowly nodded her head. "Good, let's go."

The walk had taken nearly twenty minutes. In that timeframe, Hinata realized how awkward the situation was. Mayu truly _had_ forgotten. She didn't remember anything of her time here. The friendship that had come about because of her presence, the confidence, the laughs… the memories—she didn't remember at all. Hinata lowered her gaze to the ground as she walked. It was something she hadn't done in quite some time. Her eyebrows furrowed. This was, for lack of a better word, unfortunate. What if she never gained her memories?

Mentally, the Hyuga shook her head and scolded herself. The past was the past. Now that Mayu had returned, new memories could occur. That thought put a smile on Hinata's face. Her pale eyes shifted in Mayu's direction. The teen was currently observing her surroundings—something she had done in the past when experiencing new things. That's right. This was still Mayu even without her memories. "Hey, Hinata…"

The kunoichi was instantly brought back to reality. "Y-Yes?" she asked. It was then that Mayu questioned where exactly they were headed. Of course. They were outside of town. Their current location was near the Uchiha district. The two were on a desolate path. It was understandable that Mayu felt a bit apprehensive. "We are going to the place where you disappeared."

"Where I disappeared?" Mayu blinked. Hinata nodded her head, and then pointed up ahead. From this distance, the strange cliff could be seen. "Is that _really_ a good idea?"

"I'm sure it wouldn't hurt. After all, you had performed some type of jutsu. I'm sure that is the cause of why you disappeared two years ago," Hinata replied. Within five minutes, the girls stood at the base of the strange cliff. "Do you… know how to use chakra?" The Hyuga couldn't be sure with this turn of events. Luckily her friend nodded her head. "Can you also walk on water then?" The two began to ascend the rock wall.

"Yeah, I learned—apparently _again_," Mayu answered.

"There are steps, leading up to the house on the other side, but this way is faster," Hinata explained.

"Good to know."

Within moments, they reached the top. "I will show you to the room," Hinata told her. Then she led the way into the back entrance of the abandoned house. Behind her, Mayu became silent. Surely, she must have noticed the graves. Over the years, the force of nature had eroded the raised dirt, which leveled them with the rest of ground. However, the sign still remained, stating that the backyard was indeed a burial site. "I believe this is where a clan resided." Hinata glanced behind her as she came to a stop in front of a room. The room that Mayu had vanished. "Ishikari… I believe that you are a part of this clan, Mayu."

"Yes, I am. I think I'm the only one in my generation." Her friend was surprisingly calm about this. "That means I have a lot to learn." Mayu sighed heavily. "History was my worst subject, though…" She moved past the Hyuga, stepping into the vacant room. Her head turned in every direction. "I wonder how I knew the jutsu to send me away."

"You had been reading scrolls," Hinata answered, entering the room as well. Instead of standing by Mayu's side, she walked over to the far corner of the room. She dropped to her knees and lifted the tatami floorboard. Mayu walked over, peering over the Hyuga's shoulder. "Just in case, I hid them away. Even though I couldn't understand the strange writings myself." The ninja's hand went into the secret compartment and pulled a box from it. She handed the wooden box to Mayu. "Perhaps it will be of more use to you."

"Thanks," she smiled. "This will be pretty useful." The girl lifted the lid. "Now… Could you tell me about our past?" Hinata stood at full height, blinking. "I mean, I would like to know how we began best friends if you don't mind. Maybe hearing about it will jog some memories."

"Yes, of course! That's a great idea!" The kunoichi nodded her head in agreement. She began to relay events of the past to the ignorant teenager. Throughout the retelling of memories, Mayu had surprisingly kept quiet. Perhaps her attention was divided with the scrolls? Her blue eyes had been scanning each of them, after all. By the time Hinata was finished going over the past, Mayu seemed to be finished reading as well. She placed the scrolls back in the box, and tucked the box under her arm. "Of course, we weren't together some of the time, so I cannot tell you everything that happened to you while you were here."

"_Hm_… That's fine. You telling me these things were helpful," Mayu said.

"Did you remember anything?"

"I'm afraid not, but at least I know some things," she replied with a shrug. "But I do have a question. You mentioned Uchiha Sasuke, knowing about me before anyone else. How close were we?"

"Close…? _Uh_… I'm certain that you and Sasuke-san were very close," Hinata murmured. Mayu narrowed her eyes. "So close that you had become enraged that he left you without saying goodbye."

"I see—I suppose that means he didn't care either way," Mayu muttered. The Hyuga opened her mouth only to close it a second later. In the end, Sasuke had chosen the Sound. No matter how close Mayu and he had seemed, he had still betrayed her—betrayed them all. Mayu, herself, had called him a traitor. "But let's forget about him for a moment." Was she trying to be funny? "What matters now is relearning?"

"Relearning…?" Hinata repeated.

"Yes, you said I did some pretty crazy stuff when we shared your body." She closed her eyes, grinning. "I was naïve and overconfident back then… I'm not the same anymore… Well, not completely. I have to get stronger now because I can't just go back if something happens to me."

"I… understand," Hinata nodded. "I will help. It's the least I can do after all you've done for me, Mayu."

"Great! Make me a capable ninja. I'm counting on you, Hinata-chan!"

"_Hm_!"

* * *

><p>I was going to add more, but I decided to place it in the next chapter where things finally kick off. After all, the Naruto comes back. Will the reunion be as good as the reunion with Hinata? <em>Hm<em>-who knows? You'll just have to wait to read. By the way, readers, reading your thoughts on this, and upcoming chapters, will help out very much. :D


	3. When It Starts

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, the teen grinned. Her eyes stared into the blue flame, currently enveloping her hand and forearm. After nearly three months, she had finally mastered it. If she knew it was going to take this long, she would have started with it first instead of the other jutsu. Mayu clenched her fist, extinguishing the blue flames. She examined her arm. She had burned herself numerous times, learning the jutsu. Fortunately, they were minor burns and had healed for the most part. Now that she had fully mastered The Flame—_Tsukeru_—she didn't have to worry about being burned in the future.

Mayu squatted down and unrolled the scroll that lied at her feet. According to Hinata's speculation, this scroll, along with the other scrolls she had been using, were taken from a secret place. The reason the Hyuga had come up with such a conclusion is because Mayu had no knowledge of the Ishikari clan for most of the time they had shared a body. That led the ignorant teen to believe that she had stolen the scrolls from somewhere, which means someone else knew of the clan's existence? But who? At the moment, Mayu couldn't be sure. It could have been the Third Hokage. He was dead now, though. Well, in any case, whoever did have knowledge of the clan probably buried it in their memories, still having not realized that certain items had come up missing. Why concern yourself with a clan full of dead people?

Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, Mayu bit her thumb. Her incisors pierced her flesh, drawing blood. She slid her thumb across her written name, a sign that she had mastered the jutsu. The last name written had been Morino. Before that name was Mayuka. Mayu had wondered about the bloody names. The file had stated that there were sixteen members of the Ishikari clan. However, they were six names in the Tsukeru scroll, excluding hers. It was a mystery, but Mayu had decided not to delve too much into it. Sooner or later, she would find out the information.

Before rolling the scroll back up, Mayu blew on her name, which caused the blood to dry quicker. "Time to replenish my energy!" She shot a fist into the air at the thought of eating. Hopefully, she had some money left over from the last time Hinata was in the village. Over the past six months, the sweet Hyuga had been taking care of her. Without her help, Mayu would have starved. Merely having shelter wasn't enough. Though, she did feel guilty about having Hinata using most of her hard-earned money on her.

That would end soon, hopefully. Now that she had mastered the Ishikari clan's last jutsu, she hoped to apply for the career of a ninja. Honestly, that was the only thing that motivated her. Back home—in that parallel universe—she had been so bored. Thinking back, one of the only things that could be considered fun was fighting. That, and participating in Archery club. Mayu shook her head as she entered her home. She was so twisted. Walking to through the halls, she came to her designated room. There was only a bookcase in the room. The futon had been put away.

Yes, she had cleaned the entire house, but she had yet to decorate the interior. As stated before, she felt guilty about using Hinata's money. She would definitely start buying furniture and other things when she had an income. Mayu stepped into the room and walked over to the bookcase. This was her hiding place for the scrolls and file. She hadn't pushed the books all the way to the back, leaving room for items. The file was placed under the books. The items were not visible that way.

Nodding to herself, Mayu turned to leave. After she was done eating, and perhaps napping, she would go to see the Hokage. After pushing her feet into her boots again, she stood, slid the front door opened, and smiled. "It is time…" she shielded her eyes from the rays of the afternoon sun with her left arm as she closed the door with her right hand. Behind her, the Ishikari crest shined. "For my DEBUT!"

0-0

As expected, people stared. Of course they would. Dark-skinned people weren't exactly a common thing in the Leaf village. Besides, whenever Mayu had ventured into town, she had used the Transformation Jutsu. Because of that, she had gotten pretty good at it. Her shoulders slouched as she continued to walk. _"Should I have used the jutsu until I met the Hoka__ge?"_ she questioned herself. Oh well. It was too late now. Her back straightened as a smile appeared on her face. She had eaten and took a short nap. Actually, it hadn't been that short. In fact, it was actually the next morning. And yet the citizens of the Leaf still stared. Gosh—take a picture already.

Mayu suddenly stopped and blinked. A few meters in front of her, there was someone she recognized. Admittedly, out of all the characters of the show, Hinata and her team were the only people she had seen. Minus Kurenai, of course. That long spiky white hair and red lines going down from the man's eyes were a dead giveaway to who the older person was. Jiraiya—the Toad Sanin. His dark eyes, though, weren't focused on the path in front of him. His neck stretched up. Mayu found herself finally his line of sight. Her gaze slowly traveled up a wooden pole. Squinting, she subconsciously stood on her tiptoes. Standing on top of the pole was none other than Uzumaki Naruto. Even if she hadn't spotted his blond hair, she had certainly spotted his signature orange color. He wore a black and orange jacket with orange pants. His headband was no longer blue, though. The metal had been on a longer bandana.

This… was a person who knew of her existence, right? Cupping her hands around her mouth, she called up to the blond shinobi. "Naruto…! _Oi_, Naruto!" Blue eyes shifted down. Mayu stretched her arm up in a wave. Without warning, he jumped down from the pole and stood in front of the teenage girl. Having him this close, she realized that he had gotten taller. He used to be so shorter—shorter than anyone in their age group. From what she could guess, he might have been over 160 centimeters. At his look of confusion, Mayu smiled. Of course, he would be confused. After all, she didn't look the same. "You can't tell who I am, can you?" Naruto blinked, and then squinted. Leaning forward, he crossed his arms. Well, at least he wasn't sniffing her.

Naruto suddenly reared his head back and gasped in an overdramatic way. He pointed a finger. "Could you be… _Mayu_?" The girl dug a pinkie in her ear, complaining about her ears ringing. "Wha… What happened to you? You don't look like Hinata at all!" Mayu pointed to herself.

"This is my real body, Naruto," she stated.

"_Eh_? How did you manage to get your own body?" he questioned. Mayu waved off his question.

"Let's talk about that later. Right now, I'm on my way to see the Hokage."

"Wh-What?" Mayu raised a brow at the blonde's sudden apprehensive demeanor. "Why are you going to see her?"

"I'm hoping she can make me a certified ninja," she answered.

"Ninja… All of a sudden?"

"Yeah, I've been training like crazy, and I think I'm ready now," Mayu stated. "Hope you've been doing the same, Naruto."

"Of course!" He actually poked out his chest. "Hey!" he sounded excited. "Maybe she'll let you be my teammate, too!"

"Huh…? Why would-"

"Because I don't have any teammates, duh! It would be super cool if we became a team—just like in the beginning!"

"The beginning…?" That's when it occurred to Mayu that Naruto didn't know about her memory loss. Well, that was obvious. He must have just gotten back from his training journey. It wasn't like he had any communication with the village whilst he was away, so Hinata couldn't tell him. "Listen, Naruto, there's something I need to tell you." However, before she could explain the happenings of when he hadn't been here, his mentor walked over.

"Excuse the interruption, but who are you?" Jiraiya asked.

"You already met her," Naruto answered for Mayu. "Remember when we met the Akatsuki together that one time. She pretended to be under that guy's genjutsu." Jiraiya's eyebrows knitted together, recalling the event.

"Wait… What's your family name?" he questioned. The girl smirked, proudly stating her full name. The older ninja's lips parted. That explained it. This girl… could she be the one that disappeared during that period? She did seem to be the right age. If that was the case, then she was definitely related to _him_. He couldn't believe he hadn't realized her existence sooner—at that time. Jiraiya focused his attention back to the two teens. They had gone on ahead, Naruto animatedly telling the girl what he had seen on his travels. _"Another certified ninja of the Ishik__ari clan… This should be interesting. I wonder if Tsunade-hime knows."_ Smirking, the Sanin followed after his student and his student's friend.

The three reached the Hokage's office in five minutes. "… And my New Sexy Jutsu easily worked on him!" Naruto finished his story, turning the doorknob. Mayu appeared genuinely interested.

"Really? Just like that?"

"Yup!" Naruto answered with a grin. He stepped into the office, unannounced, with Mayu and Jiraiya behind him. "Granny, we're back!" The female Sanin didn't look very pleased that the young ninja had barged into her office. She and Shizune seemed to be in the middle of a conversation. "You miss me?"

"Sure, why not?" was her vague respond. The young blond visibly pouted and crossed his arms. Tsunade's brown eyes focused on Mayu, who stood at attention. "Who is this?"

"My name is Ishikari Mayu! It's a pleasure to finally meet the village's leader!" She bowed at a forty-five degree angle. She lifted her torso to see the puzzled expression on the Fifth Hokage's face. "To get straight to the point, I wish to become a ninja!" The woman blinked, and then glanced at Naruto. The shinobi flinched and averted his eyes to the floor. Mayu saw the entire exchange.

"Is this the girl, Naruto?"

"_Uh_…" The blue-eyed ninja took several side-steps away from the girl. She looked at him, wondering what his problem was. "Ye-Yeah?" Tsunade nodded her head a bit. Mayu crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes in Naruto's direction.

"Naruto."

"Y-Y-Yes?"

"Why does she already know about me?" she asked.

"Well… You… see… wh-what had happened was-" Mayu raised her brow again, appearing skeptic. Naruto threw himself on the ground. "I'm sorry! It slipped! I didn't know what to do! Forgive me!"

"Cut that out, Naruto! You're going to make them think I _beat_ you!"

The adults in the room laughed at the exchange. Mayu flushed lightly, and then forced Naruto back on his feet. "So you would like to be a ninja?" Tsunade leaned back in her chair. "As a starting genin, your age is a bit…" The woman trailed off.

"Pardon me, but I was under the impression that in order to gain the title of genin, a person must pass a test," Mayu stated. "If that hasn't changed, I am more than willing to test. I already know the Transformation Jutsu as well as the basic Clone Jutsu. Any further skills you wish to see, I cannot demonstrate without another person. I assure you that the result of my training is great. It would be a mistake not to make me a ninja."

"_Hm_… Well, this is just perfect then," Tsunade muttered. "Seeing as how Naruto has just come back, hopefully with outstanding results from his training-" Jiraiya scoffed and stated that of course the results were outstanding. The Hokage ignored her former teammate. "-I want to see those results from the both of you." The two teens blinked, and then exchanged a look. "I want you to fight a certain someone. I haven't given him any missions these past few days so that he could rest up. That opponent is…" A knocking suddenly came, causing Naruto and Mayu to turn in that direction. "Come in!"

In walked two familiar people. Shikamaru of the Leaf and Temari of the Sand. "Hey," the Leaf ninja greeted. Mayu exclaimed their names. His eyes honed in on the girl. "You…" He then sighed heavily. "You're back." Surprised, Mayu asked how he knew about her. "It's obvious. Blue eyes and dark skin—either this is your real body or you're sharing again. Ishikari Mayu, welcome back you troublesome girl."

"Wow…! You're still so smart!" Naruto exclaimed. "Long time, no see, Shikamaru!" The Nara shifted his gaze towards the blond shinobi. He actually smiled.

"You, too, Naruto—welcome back," he said.

"_This is that shrimp…?"_ Temari thought. Then her focus moved to the girl. _"Ishikari__ Mayu…? She's the one who Gaara…"_

"So is this your real body or not?" Shikamaru questioned.

"It… is," Mayu replied.

"_Eh_? So wait… Shikamaru is our opponent?" Naruto asked.

"Opponent? What are you talking about? I just came here to pick up some documents."

"It wasn't Shikamaru…?" Naruto's gaze shifted to Temari. "Who are you again?"

"You don't remember?" The Sand kunoichi sounded highly offended.

"Naruto! Those two aren't your opponents!" Tsunade gained the attention of everyone in the room. She pointed to the right. "He's over there." Blinking, the two walked over to the window. Naruto was the one to open it and look outside. He gasped, causing Mayu to look out as well.

"I see you two have grown," the masked ninja on the roof turned their way. As usual, the jounin had been reading one of his favorite books. "_Yo_, Naruto, Mayu." He gave a small wave in greeting.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, excited. He jumped out of the window, saying how much the older ninja hadn't changed at all. Mayu, though, remained where she was.

"_Another person who knows me…? There's a lot Hinata didn't tell me, after all,"_ she thought. _"There's still so much that I don't know. It really does suck that I've lost my memories."_ Tsunade walked over to the window just as Kakashi opened the green book Naruto had given him.

"Stop goofing around now," she told her subordinates. "Both of you get in here." After giving the order, the Hokage returned to her desk. Mayu had to back up so that the two could enter the office. "As you may have figured, your opponent will be Hatake. Depending on your fight, I'll decide how to deal with you two." The two young stared at Tsunade for a moment longer. Then, they smirked.

"Looking forward to it!"

0-0

"That Kakashi-sensei…!" As he walked, Naruto crossed his arms. Clearly, he was pouting. "Is that stupid book more important than seeing the results of our training?" Minutes ago, the masked ninja had postponed the assessment, giving the excuse that Naruto needed to rest seeing as how he had just returned from his trip. He had taken off in quite a hurry, too, which led the rest of the group to believe he had gone off to read the latest book in Jiraiya's series. Mayu only chuckled nervously, walking by Naruto's side. Honestly, she could not say anything. She had once almost missed a school exam due to the fact that she had stayed up all night, reading romance manga. Her mother had literally kicked her out of bed and rushed off her to school. It was a horrible experience that only happened _once_. Ishikari Sheena was not a woman anyone wanted to mess with.

Mayu came to an abrupt stop, noticing that Naruto was no longer by her side. She turned her body, seeing him having a conversation with Shikamaru and Temari. The blond shinobi seemed awfully excited about something. Mayu walked back to them, asking for some information. Apparently, Temari's brother had become the leader of the Sand village—the Kazekage. "_Eh_? Gaara-kun's a leader now? So cool~!" The girl clasped her hands together against her chest.

"I'm not going to lose either!" Naruto stretched his finger high, and then pointed to the Hokage Monument. "I'm definitely going to become Hokage!" His blue eyes turned to Mayu. "Just you guys wait! As soon as we pass Kakashi-sensei's assessment, I'll train more and more, and then I'll be a Kage, too! Just like old times, right, Mayu?" He raised his thumb and grinned.

"Like old times…" she repeated in a whispered. Her gaze shifted to the ground for a moment. If only she could remember those old times. This was becoming more and more like an inside joke she wasn't a part of. Mayu sighed heavily, causing the grin to drop from Naruto's face. "Hey, we need to talk," she stated. His arm dropped as well. "How about over a bowl of ramen?" Immediately his eyes lit up at the thought of his favorite meal. Eagerly, he nodded his head. Mayu turned to the other two. "Sorry, Temari, Shikamaru—this is where we split up."

"_Ah_, I have to get going anyway," Shikamaru stated. "Good luck with your fight."

"Thanks!" Mayu grinned. "Let's go, Naruto!" The blond nodded his head. After waving goodbye to Temari and Shikamaru, the two began walking again. Their destination was Naruto's favorite ramen stand. Hinata and Mayu had gone there a few times when the Hyuga was feeling nostalgic. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't eaten the delicious ramen in weeks. The two teens walked in silence towards Ichiraku's. Well, actually, Naruto couldn't control his wiggling body. Erratically, he would nearly squeal in glee.

Mayu found herself smiling. Naruto hadn't changed all that much since part one, it appeared. However, he had only just come back. Perhaps she'd see another side of him in the future. Upon arriving at the ramen stand, the pair was instantly greeted, Naruto more so than Mayu. The owner was apparently ecstatic about the shinobi's return. They sat down and immediately ordered. As Teuchi turned to prepare their orders, Mayu felt Naruto's questioning gaze on her. "So, Mayu, what do we need to talk about? You had this really serious expression on your face."

"Yeah… You wanted to know how I got my own body?" She tugged on her left bang a bit. "It happened two years ago. Prior to that, according to Hinata, I had been sneaking out at night, and had been doing it for months. She does not know the true reason for it. She suspects that I had been doing more than just learning jutsu." For a moment, Mayu's eyes closed. "The last time, Hinata had followed me back to the Ishikari residence. She had seen me conduct a powerful jutsu known as Tsukeru. Then she had seen the last jutsu I performed. She had watched me disappear in that room."

"Disappear…? Oh, you did a transportation jutsu?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, but it was much more powerful than anything you may have heard of. This jutsu not only transported me to a different place and time, but it is also the reason I have lost my memories." Mayu opened her eyes again. The blond beside her was awfully quiet after she had stated such a thing. Perhaps he was thinking about the situation calmly?

"_EHHHHHH_?" Apparently not. It must have taken time to register and process. "What do you mean _lost_ your _memories_? _What_ memories? What are you _talking_ about?"

"Simple really, I do not—cannot—remember my experiences when Hinata and I shared a body," Mayu stated. "And what's more, the memories I gained when I inhabited the body Haruno Sakura have faded with time. In short-" Finally, she turned her gaze to the clearly shocked shinobi. "Your feelings of nostalgia are one-sided, along with Hinata's, and any other person that may know of me."

"No… way…" Naruto couldn't help but murmur. This had to be a joke, right? His friend had been known to tease and joke, after all. Judging from Mayu's face, though, she was completely serious. Lost memories? He couldn't believe it. Narrowed eyes stared down at the table. If she had truly lost her memory, then she had also lost valuable information, too. To think he had begged her to tell him before he left. Damn… _"Wait…"_ he thought. _"__This means she knows nothing__ at all!"_ This was really _bad_. "So that means that you don't even remember Sa-" A bowl of ramen was set in front of him, halting his question. Mayu's order was placed in front of her as well.

"_Ah_! Itadakimasu!" The tense atmosphere was immediately broken once Mayu got a whiff of her meal. She broke her chopsticks apart while grinning. "_Mmm_! Chicken!" The girl began to happily eat her ramen. Naruto, on the other hand, could not eat with the same vigor.

"_Crap, I might have almo__st made a mistake,"_ he thought. Slowly, he slurped up his noodles. Maybe it was a bad idea to tell Mayu about Sasuke and his plan. Right now, she didn't feel anything towards Sasuke. Yeah, it was probably a _really_ bad idea to tell her anything. Who knows how she'd react. Besides, the information that she had obtained was gone now. _"I should probably just… wait until her memories return… or until we're all together again."_ Mentally, the blond shinobi sighed. After all they had been through together, Mayu had to go and accidently get amnesia. Briefly, Naruto wondered how Hinata must have felt. She had lost her best friend, too…

"_Eh_, Naruto? Something wrong?" Mayu's muffled voice asked. The reason it sounded muffled was because she had spoken with her mouth full of noodles. Quickly, she slurped them up. "You'd think you'd be on your third bowl by now."

"No, no… I just… You know, this whole memory loss thing is getting to me. It seriously sucks," Naruto muttered. "Who else knows about it?"

"You, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino."

"That's it? What about Kakashi-sensei?"

"Has no clue as far as I'm concerned," Mayu answered. "Since I've been back, I haven't seen him or anyone else. I spent most of my time relearning things with Hinata and training on my own. Sometimes, Kiba lets me spar with him." She turned to him again. "Speaking of which, what exactly did you tell the Hokage about me before you left?"

"_Er_…"

"Come on, Naruto. I'm not going to get angry. How can I?"

"You kinda told me not to tell her about you at all," Naruto stated. "Uh… Anyway, I accidently said that you were involved with the mission."

"Mission…?"

"To retrieve Sasuke that one time," Naruto clarified.

"_Oooh_! Hinata told me about that," Mayu recalled. She blinked. "But how involved did you say I was?"

"…"

"Naruto…!"

"I panicked a little bit after I said that actually… And… then I lied and said we found you along the way, and you tried to help us."

"Well, that doesn't sound too bad."

"Re-Really?"

"No, well, I am surprised you lied, but-" She stopped and smiled. "Anyway, should we talk about Kakashi-san now?" Maybe it was a good thing that she has lost her memories. If she hadn't, Naruto would have surely been beaten. The girl had nailed how important it was to not tell Tsunade about her presence, and it took a long time, too. And yet he had let her name slip. Naruto mentally sighed again. He should count his blessings for now.

"Sensei," he said.

"What?"

"Sensei… Kakashi-sensei is what we called him, you know," Naruto explained.

"Oh yeah…? _Hm_—well, alright," Mayu muttered. "_Ah_! I need some ninja gear. You got some extra stuff, don't you, Naruto?"

0-0

For what seemed like the hundredth time, Naruto walked past her. She, with her eyes closed, leaned against the iron gate. Mayu and Naruto had been waiting for Hatake Kakashi for nearly two hours. The man hadn't changed a bit with his tardiness. Mayu sighed heavily as Naruto, again, paced past. She had already strapped a shuriken holster to her left thigh. For now, that's pretty much all she needed. Luckily, Naruto did have an extra. "Just how long does Kakashi-sensei plan on making us wait?" Naruto finally shouted out his frustration.

"Be calm, Naruto," Mayu advised. "After all, we both know what he's doing." She opened her eyes, and focused her gaze upwards. "I wonder if it's interesting… When I'm eighteen, I'm going to buy the first book."

"No way! No way!" Naruto waved his hand back and forth in front of his face. "It's boring as hell!"

"It's a best seller, though…" Mayu muttered. "If the majority of people are buying it, then something about it must be good. I want to read it."

"You'd be wasting your time."

"Like I'm going to listen to someone who doesn't enjoy reading in the _first_ place."

"Hey!" At Naruto's indignant huff, Mayu laughed loudly.

Suddenly, a cloud of smoke appeared on top of the gate, causing the two to look up. When the smoke vanished, in its place Kakashi was revealed. "Hey! My bad, my bad!" he said, giving a small wave. "Actually, while on the way here, I saw an old woman who needed some help-"

"You liar!" Naruto interrupted. Kakashi laughed nervously.

"Well, let's not waste anymore time," he said, jumping down from the gate, landing next to Mayu. He began to walk in the direction of one of the training fields. "I see that you're both anticipating this, _hm_?"

"Of course we are!" Naruto exclaimed. "It's been so long!"

"Indeed it has…" Kakashi murmured. The three walked until they reached the three familiar stumps. The blond looked around, smiling a bit.

"This place is kinda nostalgic," Naruto commented. He recalled that time—those memories. The beginnings of Team 7—the three of them had become one that day and became a cell, a squad, a team. His blue eyes slid to Mayu. She was looking around as well, but there wasn't any nostalgia to her gaze. This memory loss of hers… it really sucked. "The bell test," he tried to discreetly give Mayu some insight. "We passed and became a team." The girl nodded her head and smiled.

"That's right…" Kakashi lazily looked up from his book. "You were here—your first training area—with us, weren't you, Mayu? Along with Sasuke." Naruto lowered his eyes to the ground. Mayu didn't react at all. "Oh…? Is that name taboo?" The girl scoffed.

"No," she stated. "Why would it be?"

"_Like I thought…"_ Naruto grimaced. _"__She doesn't feel a thing for Sasuke."_ Maybe he could drop some cool points for Sasuke so that Mayu would start liking him. Hopefully, she'd be completely in love with him by the time they ran into him? Oh, who was he kidding? Mayu wasn't the type to fall in love at the drop of a coin. _"__Sasuke is not going to like this."_ The jiggling of bells brought the blond ninja from his pondering. He looked Kakashi's way to see the older shinobi dangling two silver bells. He gapped at his sensei.

"I'm going to see how much you've improved," the man stated. "You haven't given up on Sasuke, right?"

"No way! That's the reason I've been training!" Naruto started to feel fired up. Mayu merely closed her eyes.

"That's not the reason I've been training," she muttered. Instantly, Naruto felt deflated. Even if it didn't work, maybe he should make Sasuke seem like a better person to her. So when the time came, she could, at least, be friendly towards the Uchiha. Kakashi nodded and attached the bells to his pant's waist.

"The rules are the same from the first time we did this," he said. "You can use any tricks you have as long as you get the bells from me. Come at me-"

"Like we're going to kill you, right?" Naruto interrupted, smirking. "Or else we won't be able to get them?"

"That is correct," Kakashi said. "You have until tomorrow. So, shall we begin?" he asked, closing his book.

"You aren't going to fight while reading the book this time, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, tightening his headband. "Or did you already finish reading it?"

"No, I'm going to have to put that hobby aside for the moment," Kakashi stated, putting his book away in his back pouch. "Besides, it kinda feels like I'm going to have to be serious this time." He revealed his Sharingan as he spoke.

"Who do you think you're talking to? I'm always serious when it comes to fighting," Mayu smirked. "Don't underestimate me for a second, Kakashi-sensei."

"No, I won't be doing that this time around," the jounin said.

"Good cuz here we go!" Naruto shouted, rushing towards Kakashi.

"Why are still so hasty, Naruto?" Mayu questioned, frowning. "No matter. I have to pass this bell test no matter what."

0-0

It has come to my attention that many of the readers have been wanting to reread Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles. Wanting it so badly, in fact, they would like me to repost the story on this site. Sorry, that's not going to happen. Stop asking. I won't do it. Why? Because I don't WANT to. Jeez... This, right here, what I'm doing now, is a revised version of the old story. That means, dear readers, that I would not-and WILL NOT-put the old version up along with this one. Not only is it against fanfiction(dot)net's policy, but, again, I DON'T WANT TO. So SUCK IT UP and wait for me to revise the rest of the chapters. But then again, if you happen to look for Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles and actually find it on a different site, then there you go.

Moving on... This chapter is actually the beginning of the revising. The first two chapters were entirely new to the story, but the rest will be revised, so I'm hoping for quicker updates.

On an ending note, thanks for the 31 reviews so far. Let's make it an even 50 before the next chapter, ne?


	4. Nostalgia I

"You'd be wasting your time."

The two women turned towards the door. Interrupting their conversation, Jiraiya, the Toad Sanin, shut the door behind him. He had just left Kakashi, having explained things to the jounin about Naruto. Jiraiya had returned the blond ninja to the boy's former sensei. Now, it would see he would have to speak with the Fifth Hokage, concerning the dark-skinned girl. Apparently, she did not know. His former teammate, Tsunade, raised a brow. "What are you talking about?" she asked. Jiraiya's gaze shifted to Shizune. The dark-haired woman merely blinked. The male Sanin closed his eyes and smirked.

"You were telling her to gather information on Ishikari Mayu, right?" he questioned. Tsunade leaned back in her seat.

"What of it?"

"Like I said, you'd be wasting your time," Jiraiya repeated.

"Do you know something I don't?"

"Apparently."

"You have three seconds to rephrase that," Tsunade glowered. Jiraiya chuckled nervously at his former teammate's glare.

"What I meant to say was that I'm surprised that you don't know," he said. "Then again, I'm not. More than likely, the information about the girl's clan is gone. I'm absolutely positive, though, that information about the girl, by herself, does not exist." At Tsunade's curious gaze, Jiraiya continued. "Members of the girl's clan aren't recorded until they have reached the age of fourteen."

"Why is that?" Tsunade asked.

"It is the inner workings of the clan," Jiraiya replied with a shrug. "No one but its members know the reason for it."

"What else can you tell me about this Ishikari clan? I've never heard of them."

"That makes sense seeing as how you were away from the village for quite some time."

"Get to the point, Jiraiya!"

"There's not much I can tell you, anyway. They were a secret clan that kept to themselves," the Sanin went on. "Only a few knew about it."

"Knew…?"

"Yeah, years back, the clan… went through a massacre," Jiraiya stated. "On the same night as the Uchiha clan at that. Many lives were lost. Only two members of each clan survived. The girl, though, disappeared before she reached the appropriate age. Her uncle happened to be on a mission at the time."

"I don't get it—why was this clan so secretive?" the Hokage wanted to know. For a moment, her former teammate closed his eyes.

"Ishikari clan—the secret clan of the Hidden Leaf village," he began. "The clan is similar to the Yamanaka clan as the two have the ability to inhabit the body of another. However, when it comes to the Ishikari clan, once they return to their rightful bodies, they are able to use the abilities of whomever they happen to switch with. Over the years, the clan's jutsu evolved to where they could copy advanced bloodlines as well. When the village was first established, the clan agreed to become a part of it. Due to their abilities and war, they were kept secret, though. During the time of war, they helped us immensely. It is said that they used their abilities of going inside high-ranking enemies and slit their throat."

"They willingly went on suicide missions?" Tsunade's eyes widen as though she couldn't believe it.

"No, that is another difference between the Yamanaka clan and Ishikari clan. The switch happens, yet damage done to the enemy will not affect their bodies at all once they return."

"That's some ability."

"That's precisely why the Second kept the clan in isolation. For the longest time, they were hidden from the eyes of the world," Jiraiya explained. "Their achievements in war became rumors, and then legends."

"You mean… The whole angry spirits possessing our enemies and destroying them from the inside out… was them?"

"That's right."

"So what happened to them?" Tsunade furrowed her brow.

"They were discovered. The Uchiha clan found out. Eventually, both clans were lost," Jiraiya stated.

"So what you're telling me is… I have a rogue ninja and his niece from a dead clan on my hands?"

"He's not necessarily rogue, Tsunade. He just didn't come back in search of revenge and his missing niece, who isn't so missing anymore." The blond woman sighed heavily and asked for a name. "His name is Ishikari Morino. He hasn't been back in years."

"Morino…?" Shizune repeated, causing the two Sanin to turn her eyes. She flushed under their scrutiny. "Sorry… I just… kept thinking that the surname was familiar to me somehow. When you said Morino, I knew."

"Explain yourself, Shizune," Tsunade ordered.

"It's nothing really. Before Tsunade-sama and I returned to the village, I happened to meet someone by the name of Ishikari Morino. He-" Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink. "He was quite charming…" The two Sanin stared at the dark-haired woman for a moment longer. Shizune focused her gaze downward. "An-Anyway…!" she exclaimed, trying to change the subject. The Hokage, however, interrupted, turning her attention back to Jiraiya.

"How long ago did you meet with this man?" Tsunade asked, ignoring the look of sulking from her assistant. Jiraiya shrugged.

"Probably a year ago," he answered. "The reason I'm telling you all this is because it would be foolish not to make the girl a ninja."

"_Hm_…?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes a bit. "That's all up to her, isn't it? How about we go watch now?"

0-0

Naruto threw multiple shuriken at Kakashi. However, the jounin merely ducked to dodge the attack. He then flung a couple shuriken of his own. To avoid the sharp weapons, Naruto jumped up high. Kakashi used that to his advantage. Because the blond was in mid air, he wouldn't be able to dodge another flurry of shuriken being thrown his way. Surprisingly, Naruto only smirked at the oncoming weapons. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" His exclamation, gathering of chakra, and hand sign brought on another Naruto—a solid clone. The clone hurriedly grabbed onto the original and pulled him to safety just as the shuriken whizzed by.

"Interesting…" Kakashi muttered.

"_That was actually pretty good, Naruto,"_ Mayu thought. _"You've learned to use your clones better."_

The girl slowly removed a kunai from her leg holster as Naruto landed. His clone transformed into a giant shuriken. However, before he got a chance to throw it, Kakashi hopped up and halted the attack. He had grabbed his former pupil's hand and gripped the back of Naruto's head with his free hand. "Well, that's enough of that." The jounin sounded a little too smug about besting a teenager. "You've grown well, Naruto. But… it seems you haven't lost any of your haste. I haven't said start ye-" A single kunai was launched from Mayu's hand towards Kakashi. The man quickly released the blonde, jumping up to avoid the projectile and the Naruto clone that had appeared behind him.

"He said start—I heard it!" Mayu ran forward while grabbing shuriken. She hurled them towards the midair jounin. His eyes widen a bit. "Naruto!" The blond nodded and jumped at the same time Mayu did. "Let's go!" Her body turned and her leg shot out. Naruto reared his fist back, along with his clone. Kakashi managed to block the original Naruto's punch with his right arm, as well as Mayu's foot with his left arm. However, the punch to the back of the head by the clone could not be avoided or blocked. The older ninja was sent crashing down. As a follow up, Mayu drove her knee into Kakashi's spine, causing him to shout. "Not a clone, _eh_?" She slowly stood up.

"_Heh heh_—underestimating us, after all, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto chuckled. The man coughed out.

"I didn't think you'd be so serious this soon…" he admitted, lifting himself. His left leg was sharply brought up, kicking Mayu away. Luckily, the girl blocked the attack by having her arms cross in front of her chest. She slid back, only to have to evade the jounin's next attack. A flurry of fists was sent her way. The man was certainly fast and she had a hard time defending. He was pushing her back, too. Gritting her teeth, Mayu swiftly moved her hand around Kakashi's. She grabbed onto his forearm, spun, and then shoved her right elbow against the ninja's chest. At such close proximity, Kakashi could hardly do anything to stop the attack. Using his disorientation to her advantage, Mayu gripped his vest, lifting him up and over. She slammed his back against the ground. _"Damn…"_ he thought. _"Her taijutsu actually got me—hurts, too."_

"How's that?" Her foot lifted, intending to stomp down on Kakashi's body. Quickly, the man wrapped his ten digits around the girl's foot. He twisted, causing Mayu to scream out in pain. She hurriedly twisted the rest of her body the same way. Kakashi used the movement to throw the girl away. She landed painfully against the ground.

"Good, but not good enough," Kakashi answered. Mayu glared up at him. "And here I was expecting a '_Shazaam_!' again." The girl actually blushed in embarrassment.

"My teachers told me to stop saying that…" She looked away for a moment before shifting her attention to Naruto. "_Oi_! Stop _gawking_ and _help_ me!" The shout snapped the blond out of his daze. His hands came together in his seemingly signature hand sign. Calling out his jutsu, multiple clones appeared and surrounded the area. They charged forward, equipped with battle cries. Mayu sighed, and then rolled to her feet.

Instead of fighting off the many clones, Kakashi headed for her! Mayu reared her head back and gasped. Of course. He was going to take care of the strongest taijutsu user first. Her body tensed, preparing for the jounin's attack. _"Wait! This is just what I need!"_ The man knocked another clone away before swinging his leg in a roundhouse kick. The heel of his foot caught her chin, sending her up and into the crowd of clones. Multiple clones called out for her, yet not one had caught her. Glowering, the girl sat up, rubbing her jaw. She narrowed her eyes, watching Naruto and Kakashi fight. Expectedly, the clones were disappearing one by one. The blonde's taijutsu had gotten better, but it wouldn't stand up to Kakashi's. Even her, someone who had practiced Martial Arts for quite some time, and had even achieved the status of black belt, seemed weak in comparison. No matter how many there were, the result would be the same. Kakashi knew this, and that would be his mistake. _"Fine then… I'll use my chakra now."_

Kakashi, once again, swatted at the attempts of a clone to break through his defenses. Naruto did, indeed, mature. However, his taijutsu had only gotten slightly better. Well, he had always known that taijutsu wasn't the boy's thing. Instead, it was his endurance. The boy was a powerhouse, and the many clones he produced showed that. But his tactics were… unsuccessful, and yet he continued to do it. Naruto had better do something different or the bells would remain in his possession. "COMING THROUGH!"

Hearing the shout, the jounin swiftly swiped at a clone with a kunai, causing it to pop out of existence. He then turned his attention to where he heard the shout. The army of clones had divided into sections, allowing a single clone to run towards Kakashi. No. His eyes narrowed. This was probably the real Naruto. Without warning, the blond leaned back, causing his body to fall. However, it continued to slide forward, one leg up. _"That's different,"_ Kakashi commented in thought. He had been planning to trip him up. Too bad the jounin saw it coming due to the shout.

A smirk appeared. As anticipated, Kakashi focused most of his attention on the oncoming clone. Hidden among the clones, Mayu rushed forward from her position towards the jounin. As she got closer to the center of the army of clones, she randomly grabbed one, throwing him toward Kakashi at the same time the sliding clone was about to make contact. Kakashi hopped up, just a bit, to avoid the clone's leg. His hand reached to grab the clone. However, his hand went right through.

"_A normal clone…!"_ he thought, eyes widening. Kakashi's palm hit the ground as the clone grinned before disappearing. Behind him, another battle cry sounded. Naruto, again. The jounin maneuvered his body so that he was standing again. He lazily intercepted a weak punch from the clone. However, he was not counting on the fast leg coming his way. He managed to block that, but he could not stop the rapid punches to his chest area. Disoriented, the high kick couldn't be avoided either. His neck sprang back and he stumbled into a group of clones.

Kakashi shook his head, and hurriedly jumped up, using his chakra before the clones could react and take the bells. He stared down at where he had been. Mayu. Of course. The girl had her gaze focused on him. She must have used the Transformation Jutsu to disguise herself, and then used the clone jutsu. All in an effort to lure him into a false sense of security, so he wouldn't be expecting a Naruto clone to suddenly have a different set of taijutsu skills. _"Clever…"_ he thought. _"What should I do now? Things were so much easier when they were younger."_ The jounin mentally sighed. _"Looks like I won't be able to find out what happens next in the new book."_

The man performed a back flip in midair and landed on one of the three stumps. "You're not getting away!" Naruto shouted. He, as well as the rest of his army of clones, raced towards the three stumps. Without warning, Kakashi's hands ran through numerous hand signs. The speed of it was incredible and shouldn't have been possible. Mayu's look of shock turned into a glower the longer the hand signs went on.

"_Does it really take that many hand signs for whatever jutsu he's about to do?"_ she thought. Finally, the jounin stopped just as the clones were jumping off to fight him again.

"Fire Style!" Kakashi blew out. "Fireball Jutsu!"

"The _hell_? Since when is he a fire type, _too_?" Mayu shouted, watching the massive fireball envelope all of the clones. "Damn it!" Quickly, she jumped out of the way of the fireball as it was still coming. She could feel the heat on her skin. She clenched her teeth as she slid back against the ground. The jutsu dissipated, leaving a huge crater in its wake. Her gaze shifted around. Naruto was doing the same. There was no sign of Kakashi.

"Damn it!" Naruto shouted. "He got away!" Mayu clicked her tongue. "He's… probably hiding there." The blond pointed a finger to the edge of the forest.

"I think you're right," she agreed, nodding. "We have to find him quickly. The sun is almost completely down for the day." Mayu clicked her tongue again. "Damn that sneaky scarecrow."

"Okay! Let's go!" Nodding, the two rushed into the forest in search of their former sensei.

0-0

It was now completely dark. Day had turned to night, and yet the two were still looking for their elusive former sensei. They had managed to find him once before. And after remaining hidden for a time, they had launched an attack. However, their efforts had been in vain. The jounin still had the bells, and the test was not over. Now, instead of sneaking around, they didn't bother to hide. Their time was limited, after all.

Mayu's nose twitched as she narrowed her eyes. "This way," she stated, heading north. To track Kakashi, she was literally using her nose. Apparently, Naruto could no longer keep his curiosity in. He asked her how she knew how to do that. "Kiba taught me," she answered. "It's a really impressive ability to have, actually, so I asked him to teach me." Mayu grinned. Naruto couldn't say that he liked it. "Kiba says I have an affinity with cats. He says he doesn't like it, but it's because of that that I was able to learn so fast. But those first few weeks were a pain. I felt like I was gonna die with all those enhanced scents. Kiba learned it way faster than me apparently."

Suddenly, Naruto stopped. It took a moment for Mayu to notice. She also stopped and turned. Naruto had planted his feet and crossed his arms. He seriously looked upset, and so she asked him what the problem was. "Kiba! Kiba! Kiba! Is that all you can say? Why are you talking about him?" His lower lip poked out. Mayu merely blinked at his sudden behavior.

"_Um_…" she began uneasily. "Well, Team Kurenai has been the only people that I've been in contact with since I've returned to the Leaf village. So naturally I would end up talking about him as well as the other members of that team." Mayu shrugged. "Besides, you're the one that asked how I'm able to track Kakashi-sensei."

"Still, his name's the only one you've mentioned…" A startled look suddenly appeared. "Don't tell me… You _like_ Kiba?" Mayu merely stared. "You _do_?"

"I'm going to say no," she answered. "Although…" She scratched her cheek. "Kiba _is_ really cute." An expression of pure horror crossed Naruto's face. Mayu, not noticing, grinned widely. "Maybe I should ask him out when he gets back?"

"NO!" Naruto yelled, grabbing the girl by her shoulders. "Worst! Idea! EVER!" Again, Mayu blinked, wondering what Naruto's deal was. "You absolutely cannot like Kiba! Bad pairing!"

"Relax, I was just joking… Seriously, Naruto, there are more important things than dating," Mayu finally stated. "How close were we exactly? Did we treat each other like siblings?" Instead of answering her, the blond released a sigh of relief. He hadn't even thought of the possibility that Mayu would like someone else. He turned away from the girl for a moment. How would Sasuke feel to come home, only to find his girl with another guy? Somehow, he got the feeling that the Uchiha wouldn't just accept it. More than likely, Sasuke would try to blame it on _him_. The thought caused a shudder to go up his spine. With a determined nod, Naruto silently vowed to keep Inuzuka Kiba far away from Ishikari Mayu. "_Eh_, Naruto… If you're done daydreaming, Kakashi-sensei switched position again," Mayu broke him out of his daze. He sharply turned to face her.

"Well then, let's go!"

The two resumed walking. Every so often, Mayu would shift directions, reminding Naruto about how she thought about Kiba. Because of that, the glower did not leave his face. Out of the blue, Mayu stopped. "There's something ahead," she murmured. Naruto followed her gaze. From behind a tree, out stepped Uchiha Sasuke. Gapping, the blond whispered his name. His form was riddled with kunai. The boy was bleeding quite a bit, too. The Uchiha called out to them, saying that he escaped from Orochimaru. The image was pretty bad, but… "_Huuuh_…?" A flat looked appeared on Mayu's face. Apparently, she was not impressed. "What a lame genjutsu, Kakashi-sensei. Firstly, would Sasuke really look the same after two and a half years? Second-" Her hand lifted in a hand sign, dispelling the illusion. "Shouldn't you have created something that would affect the both of us?"

Naruto's lip twitched. Mayu seriously didn't feel anything? This was _bad_. Oh well. This wasn't the time to worry about that. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A clone appeared by his side. Naruto held out his palm, preparing to form his ultimate jutsu. To the left of him, Mayu formed a set of hand signs. She stopped, holding her palm near the side of her torso. Blue flames erupted from her hand and covered her forearm. Blue eyes widen in surprise. That was new.

"Naruto…" Mayu smirked. "Kakashi-sensei's behind that tree. Let's show him how we felt about that, _ne_?"

"Got it!" Naruto shouted. His clone disappeared, leaving both teens to charge at the tree Mayu had pointed out. "Rasengan!"

"Tsukeru!"

The devastating combination of their attacks not only destroyed the tree Kakashi was hiding behind, but it also set the other trees around ablaze. "Shit!" The jounin barely dodged the attack, leaping quite a bit away to avoid the collision and the aftereffects. The three stared each other down as the forest burned around them. "My mistake…" Kakashi mumbled. "It didn't work the first time, did it?"

"I suppose it didn't," Mayu replied.

"Hey, the bells fell!" Naruto suddenly shouted. Before Mayu could stop him, the blond was already aiming for the two fallen bells. For his efforts, Naruto was strung up by a rope. "Crap…"

"_Ah_, I guess Naruto falls for…" Kakashi began, sounding smug, but when the clone popped out of existence, he couldn't even finish his sentence.

"Not a chance!" Naruto shouted, running at Kakashi from behind. He punched the jounin hard in the face. However, the body had turned into a log. Despite the situation, Mayu found herself chuckling.

"_Haha_, you got logged big time, Naruto!" She even pointed a finger.

"This isn't funny! Where's Kakashi-sensei?" he exclaimed.

"Up here," the man answered. The two teens sharply looked up to a tree that wasn't burning. Again, at blinding speeds, the ninja rushed through hand seals. "Water Style! Water Dragon Jutsu!"

"What?" Mayu gasped in surprise. There was no water around, and yet Kakashi had managed to make water appear, and sweep them up in the strong current. In the shape of a dragon, no less. Luckily for her, Naruto grabbed onto her and held onto a tree, using his chakra. Still, they were quite a bit away from the jounin now. Mayu shuddered once the current subsided. "This is so not fair!

"For now, let's retreat," Naruto suggested.

"Yeah… good idea," Mayu nodded.

The two teens jumped from tree to tree, trying to put a reasonably amount of distance between them and the powerful jounin. Finally, they stopped, sitting at the base of a large tree. Mayu panted lightly and squeezed her eyes shut. "We need to think of a plan or we'll never get those bells," Naruto stated, on the lookout—just in case.

"His hands are super fast," Mayu murmured. "If he's able to use his hands, there's no way we can get them…"

"Yeah, seriously! Kakashi-sensei's so strong that it's almost unfair!" He bit his lower lip. "He's smarter than Shikamaru. He has better sense of smell than Ki-" Naruto decided to stop before he uttered the forbidden name.

"Not to mention that he's way more experienced than either of us," Mayu said, seemingly not noticing the blonde's cut off. "Even so… no one is invincible. We have to find his—_ah_!" Naruto turned his eyes to the girl. He tilted his head in confusion.

"What?"

"I've got a plan!" Mayu hit her fist against her left palm. She grinned. "This is gonna be _good_!"

"What? What—tell me!"

"Listen closely, Naruto. In order for this to work, you will need to do your best!" She gave a victory sign.

0-0

"_I guess I got a little overexcited…"_ Kakashi thought, staring up at the night sky. _"Using the Sharingan so much…__ If I use it too much, I'll be drained of stamina. That's my weakness."_ He sat with his back against a tree, on the lookout for the two teens. _"Let's go see what they're up to now."_ He was about to stand, but a noise caught his attention. _"They're already __here?"_ Quickly, he stood, focusing his attention. However, what he saw caused him to pause. Both Naruto and Mayu were within sight. However, they only stood there, grinning.

"Kakashi-sensei! Those bells are ours!" Naruto called.

"You sound so confident…" Kakashi replied in a lazy tone.

"Get ready!" Mayu exclaimed. In unison, the two teens smacked their hands together. "Transform!" Mayu was the only one to actually say the name of the technique, though. Smoke surrounded their bodies. When it finally disappeared, two beautiful women, dressed in dark purple skimpy devil outfits had appeared. One was blonde and tanned while the other was darker in hair and skin color. Both women had blue eyes, which winked at the jounin.

"How's this, Kakashi-sensei?" the blond questioned, and then blew a kiss his way.

"Teach us, teacher!" the dark-haired one moaned out.

For a few moments, no one moved or spoke. Well, there was an excited shout of 'YEAH-YAH, BABY!' from Jiraiya, who had been watching the whole thing, followed by the sound of a punch being landed. But that was it. Finally, the two teenagers returned to their original selves. Naruto blinked as did Mayu. "Huh…? It didn't work." The shinobi stared flatly at his former sensei. "I thought for sure it would work on Kakashi-sensei since he's openly perverted."

"_Hm_…" Mayu closed her eyes, while rubbing her chin. "It is weird that it didn't work on him—_ah_!" Her fist hit her palm. "Maybe Kakashi-sensei is-"

"Homosexual?" They spoke in unison again, looking as though they had reached enlightenment. "It all makes sense now!" Naruto continued, ignoring the startled look from the jounin. "He's always reading those books in public, but it's probably just a cover up for his lifestyle!"

"W-Wait…" Kakashi tried, extended his hands in their direction, but the teens were deep into their conversation.

"_Ah_! I see now! The whole pervert thing is just a cover, probably to hide who he has feelings for! His aloof personality is also a part of the cover!" Naruto crossed his arms, appearing deep in thought.

"So then… in whose presence does he act the most aloof?" he murmured.

"Gai-sensei…?" Mayu suggested.

"NO! DEFINITELY NOT!" Kakashi shouted. Again, he was ignored.

"How about Iruka-sensei?" Mayu gave another suggestion.

"No way! Iruka-sensei is not gay!"

"I've never even had a conversation with him!"

"It's probably Super Bushy Brow!" Naruto stated. "He only pretends to be annoyed and brush him off, but in reality… He wants some of that good spandex loving!" He clicked his tongue twice and winked. This caused the girl to laugh loudly. Pretty soon, Naruto himself joined in. "Wh-Who knew? This whole time!"

"Wait a second, guys!"

"Oh, Kakashi-sensei… We're not saying there's something wrong with that!" Mayu waved off his chance to explain. "Though it is a bit upsetting to know there won't ever be any mini you wandering around. They would be cute, _ne_?"

"_Ne_!" Naruto agreed.

"But-"

The sound of bells jingling caused the jounin to stop his sentence and sharply look down at his waist. To his utter surprise, Mayu was right by his side, on all fours, yanking the two bells away from his person… with her mouth. It was the good ol' days all over again. The girl grinned, and then hurriedly moved to Naruto's side. Standing, she spit the bells from her mouth. Just as the clone of her disappeared. _"No way…"_ Kakashi thought. "I've been tricked?" he spoke out loud.

"That's right!" Mayu chimed, wiping the saliva from the bells with her shirt. She tossed one to Naruto. "Tricked to the mofo T."

"_Haha_!" Naruto pointed. "You fell for it, Kakashi-sensei! Mayu's plan rocked!"

Appearing triumphant, Mayu began to explain her bizarre line of thinking. "See, all we had to do was distract your attention away from the bells. Once you'd stop thinking about them, it would make it easier for a grab at them," she stated. "But who in the world could a couple of kids distract the amazing jounin, Kakashi-sensei? It was obvious to me after a bit of thinking. Bring up his sexuality!" The girl folded her arms, smirking. "For some reason, all men are so sensitive when it comes to that. Apparently, you're no different. My plan was to have Naruto and his clone, transformed as me, use the Sexy Jutsu. As a serious ninja with years of experience, I knew you wouldn't react to a silly thing like that even if you are a pervert. If I had been wrong, and you did react, then win-win for us. But you didn't. Why? Well, actually, you did react, didn't you? That dark spot on your mask—it's from the bloody nose. However, to a person watching from a distance, it looked as though you had no reaction at all. As an experienced ninja, you masked your expression, but you couldn't stop the bloody nose. Because of this, you would feel the need to explain, but with Naruto and his clone ignoring you in favor of continuing to make you believe that they thought you were gay, you could only stand there paralyzed."

"… _Huh_?"

"Basically, you became too distracted, allowing me to get the bells, Kakashi-sensei," Mayu replied flatly. She jiggled the bell in front of her face. "You said any tricks, right?" The bell chimed again. Kakashi stared at the girl for a moment longer before he closed his eyes.

"_She even knew that there were others watching…?"_ he thought. _"__Did I really become so distracted or is it because she is Ishikari—someone born with__,__ and trained thoroughly in, cat like stealth?"_

"Hatake, do you have anything you'd like to say?" A voice filled with authority caused the three to shift their attention. The Fifth Hokage, along with Shizune, was making her way towards the group. Kakashi sighed, shoulders slouching.

"Well, they did an excellent job of stealing the bells from me," he answered. Smirking, Tsunade nodded.

"Uzumaki Naruto! Ishikari Mayu!"

"Yes?" Both teens stood erect in front of the Hokage.

"The three of you and Hatake Kakashi…" Tsunade began. "The three of you will form Team Kakashi from now on." Naruto stared blankly at the blond woman. "It means…" She had to keep the annoyed tone out of her voice. "It means that the three of you will be going on missions together. However, unlike before, you are no longer teacher and student. You will work together as equal ninja of the Leaf village."

"So I'm officially a ninja?" Mayu asked, enthused.

"There is some paperwork to fill out, but yes, you are a ninja as well as a citizen of the Leaf," Tsunade confirmed. From her green robe's sleeve, she pulled out a Leaf forehead protector. Mayu's eyes lit up at the sight of the blue headband. She reached for it, and then tied the protector around her forehead. Her fingers lightly brushed against the metal plate. She then smiled widely before bowing to her leader.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama!"

"Yeah!" Naruto shouted, nearly knocking Mayu over with his embrace. "Just like old times! You're a ninja! It's your birthday! You're a ninja." The girl, now a kunoichi, returned the grin along with a victory sign.

"Dude, I'ma go to parties and people won't even know I'm there and they'll be like 'Did you hear something?' and they'd look up and see me and I'm going to be on the ceiling! And they're gonna be like 'What the—a ninja, awesome, it's a party!' I'm gonna be like 'Just throw the cake of here please!' Dude, I'm a ninja!"

"Not this again," Kakashi muttered, nearly rolling his eyes. He slid his headband back in place as Naruto snickered.

"Yes!" He clenched his fists. "We must go out and ninja in the night!"

"Shall we, Naruto?"

"Yes!" he rapidly nodded his head.

"Like a shadow serpent… silence is my veil!" Mayu began the song.

"Yes, and with the precision of the cobra… ninja kill and leave no trail~!" Naruto continued. The two teens wrapped their respective arms around each others' shoulders. They sang the next part in unison. "We know ancient stuff, and we have fun fucking things up!"

"For instance!" Mayu exclaimed. "In the confusion of a smoke bomb, I could remove your underwear and you wouldn't even notice!"

"I can jump roof—to roof—and get my friends free cable… It's _badass_!"

"I used my ninja star… to pick the lock… and steal your car!"

"ROCK AND ROLL!"

"Ninja of the night!"

"Ninja of the night!"

"Ninja of the _night_~!" They ended the song in unison. Then they threw their heads back in laughter. Once they settled down, they examined the surroundings. "Dude…" Naruto started.

"Where'd everybody go?" Mayu ended, looking confused.

"_Ah_, who cares about them? Let's go get something to eat to celebrate!"

"Awesome idea, Naruto! I'm so hungry!"

0-0

After eating and saying goodbye, Naruto and Mayu—now teammates—went their separate ways, hoping to get some rest in before their first mission. Mayu sighed heavily as she opened the door to her home. She would have to bid days of sleeping in farewell. It was going to be hard for awhile, having her body adjust to waking quicker than normal. She supposed her training would have to increase as well. But since Naruto was back, hopefully they could spar together in their spare time. His clones and stamina were definitely going to be helpful in the future.

Covering a loud yawn, Mayu sat down to remove her boots. "_Hm_… I wonder if I should get ninja sandals instead of wearing these all the time," she murmured. Still, the boots were comfortable. It was easy to move around in them. In addition, the hard soles could do quite a lot of damage to enemies. "_Eh_, I'll think about it later." Right now, she was tired. She stood, boot free, and stepped up only to slip into her blue house slippers. As she walked through her house, she yawned three more times.

Finally, she came to her room. Mayu wasted no time in going over to her closet, sliding the door open, and pulling out the folded futon. Washing herself would have to wait until tomorrow. She would probably air the futon out tomorrow, too. Suppressing another yawn, she laid out her futon before grabbing a pillow from the same closet. She tossed it on the bedding, and then headed towards her other closet. Her pajamas were pulled. Quickly, she removed her clothes, and then put on the sleepwear. After doing that, she walked over to the window and opened it.

Usually, it got pretty hot in the house, so the night's gentle breeze was much appreciated by the girl. For a moment, Mayu let the wind play with her hair. She smiled, staring up at the moon. It was certainly bright. Despite not remembering, this sky was familiar to her. _"__Tomorrow's the first mission,"_ she thought. _"__I can't wait." _Chuckling, she removed her ninja headband. The moon's light caused the metal plate to gleam. "I can't wait to tell Hinata about my career!" Mayu nearly squealed, turning away from the window. She placed the forehead protector on the bookshelf, and then moved into bed.

Sighing, she closed her eyes and turned on her side. Tomorrow was a big day. Within a few moments, Mayu began drifting to sleep. However, a creaking noise halted the sleep process. Her eyes slowly opened. It had been a long time she had returned to this place. Not once did anything in the house creak unless there was someone else in the house besides her. No one knew of this place besides the members of Team Kurenai, and they were currently on a mission.

Mayu closed her eyes again while sliding her hand up towards her pillowcase. Yes. She indeed slept with a weapon. It was something she had become accustomed to while traveling with Kazuhiro Zai. It was a simple kitchen knife, but it was quite sharp enough to stab or slice. Her fingers gripped the handle of the knife before gradually pulling it out. Nose twitching at the unfamiliar scent, Mayu realized that a stranger was inside her room. _"__Damn… Did they use the window?"_ she thought, frowning. She couldn't be sure seeing as how her back was currently facing the open window. Still, she felt a presence in the room. Whoever it was, they were standing completely still mere meters away from her body.

"_Mere meters, huh…?"_ Mayu's body tensed, and then swiftly swung her legs. The sudden attack didn't hit a target, though. "Shit!" She jumped up, eyes frantically searching the room. She didn't see anything, but someone was definitely still here. Out of nowhere, her front slammed against the wall, arms bound behind back. The strain on her arms caused the girl to grimace in slight pain. "Bastard!"

"Drop it." The voice was calm, despite the situation. Mayu squeezed her eyes shut. The voice sounded male—a male going through puberty. He was a teenager, like her. "Drop it…!" he said again, putting more strain on her body. Her neck was feeling the strain as well. Nearly growling, she did as told. Angry and annoyed, she demanded to know who he was. Even out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't tell. Instead of answering, the stranger scoffed lightly. "Doesn't this seem familiar? _Eh_, cocoon?"

"Who _are_ you?"

Her body was forcibly turned around. Before she could see the stranger, he had covered her eyes with his hand. He was so close to her now. His chest pressed against hers. Mayu swallowed hard, panting. All of a sudden, she had felt anxious, immobile, and oddly excited. "Is your mind so foggy that you can't see me?" She felt his breath on her lips. A completely unfamiliar feeling formed in her chest area and settled in the pit of her stomach. She breathed a shuddering breath. Her body tensed as if anticipating something. He removed his palm from her face, but for some unexplainable reason, Mayu could not open her eyes. "When you're ready… only when you're ready… open your eyes, Mayu." His hands slid down her arms and squeezed her hands. Despite this, her eyelids remained shut. "I'll be waiting…" She felt him pulling away.

"Wait…! Who-"

His warm hands suddenly reached up, cupping her cheeks in his palms. "_Only_ when you're ready," he repeated. His hands slid down until they reached her hips. Mayu couldn't see it, but it felt as though the person smirked. "Cocoon girl." Instead of becoming angry, the girl almost felt remorseful. Why? His fingers gripped her hips, pressing her harder against him. "Don't make me wait too long." She felt his breath on her lips again. He was so close, only to pull away.

"Wait!" He didn't listen. Although her eyes were shut, she lurched forward. Her hands didn't reach him. She couldn't reach him. This stranger that she felt a connection with—she couldn't reach him. "Wait!" she called again. Only silence greeted her. Mayu dropped down to her knees. "Wait…" she whispered. Her fingers curled into fists. "You son of a… DON'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS!"

Her eyes shot open. Breathing heavily, Mayu stared up at her ceiling. Furrowing her brow, she shifted her gaze all over. She was still under her covers. Her body was wet from sweat. Slowly, she sat up, turning her head side to side. The window was open, still allowing the night's wind to enter her home. "A dream…?" Mayu murmured. Her shoulders fell. "It was just a dream." Her hand reached up and clutched her head. What was that? _Who_ was that? The dream had felt too real to be random. What was her subconscious trying to convey to her? This person, this familiar stranger—could he be the key to unlocking her forgotten memories? Mayu scratched her cheek, and then fell back. Her head hit the pillow, but she didn't care for the impact.

Again, she stared at the ceiling. A blank expression surfaced. Naruto was right. Amnesia sucked. _"__Still… That guy… Should I seek a person like him out?"_ she questioned herself. It was obviously someone she had known, yet had forgotten. Someone important. Mayu placed the back of her hand against her forehead. Expectedly, sweat was there as well. Sighing again, she closed eyelids.

Perhaps she shouldn't wait to shower, after all.

* * *

><p>It's funny how the original chapter four was almost thirty pages, but the new and improved chapter four is exactly eleven pages. My conclusion...? The first time I did it, the bell test in the anime was ridiculously long and I copied it almost exactly. No wonder the manga didn't show it. <em>Haha<em>. However, this time, I came up with some of my own stuff. Was it good? Let me know, dear readers!


	5. Change

Once again, Mayu yawned loudly, not bothering to cover her mouth. Beside her, both Kakashi and Naruto glanced her way. That had been the seventh time she had yawned since they met up. They understood that the newly employed kunoichi had to wake up earlier because her status needed to be recorded, but she shouldn't appear this haggard. They had waited awhile before the process was done. Now, the three were currently making their way to the room within the Ninja Academy where they would be assigned their first mission. Mayu stood in the middle of the two shinobi. Finally, Naruto could take the not knowing, and so he asked.

"Couldn't get any sleep, Mayu?"

"Something like that," she answered, and then actually covered the next yawn. "I guess I was just too excited about today."

"Yeah, I know what you mean!" Naruto exclaimed, grinning. Kakashi remained silent, but he did raise an eyebrow at Mayu's response. "It's been so long since I went on a mission! I'm psyched!"

"Now, now—don't get too excited. Since the two of you are merely genin, most likely we'll be getting C-rank or below," Kakashi remarked.

"I don't care. As long as I get money for it," Mayu smiled. "Then I can start paying Hinata-chan back for taking care of me this whole time."

"Either way, I won't complain!" Naruto shoved his hands into his pockets. "Although I'm hoping for S-rank, I'm too excited to complain!"

"That's doubtful," Mayu muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Mayu…" Kakashi got the girl's attention. She looked his way. "Do you now know the techniques of your clan?"

"Sure," she answered with a shrug. "Honestly, there could be more for me to learn."

"I heard members are taught at quite the young age."

"Probably."

"You're so vague, Mayu!" Naruto muttered.

"Shut up—I'm sleepy."

The kunoichi opened the door and walked in, her teammates following behind her. Upon entering, she noticed Tsunade, Shizune and Iruka, as well as a few others, sitting at the mission assignment desk. Respectfully, she bowed to the Hokage. The blond woman smiled, and nodded her head in acknowledgement. "I take it things are settled, Mayu?" she asked. The dark-haired girl gave a tired grin. "Well then, are you ready to hear your mission?" Naruto enthusiastically nodded his head. "It's a convoy transport mission."

For a moment, all was quiet. Mayu took a glance at her blond teammate. It was really a wonder why he hadn't started shouting yet. After all, this transportation mission sounded less than C-rank—definitely not S-rank. Naruto merely stared at the Fifth with a blank look on his face. Perhaps his maturity really _did_ improve! "WHAT?" On second thought… "A convoy transport?"

"What?" Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "You got a _problem_ with that?" It was clear to everyone in the room that the leader of the Leaf village was quickly becoming irritated. Everyone except for Naruto, it appeared. He crossed his arms and huffed out.

"It's only a stupid chore! I'm going to have to say 'no thank you' to that mission!" The blond shinobi was determined not to get handed that mission. He even turned his annoyed eyes to his female teammate. "That mission sucks, doesn't it, Mayu?"

"_Hey! Don't pull me in__to your punishment!"_ she thought, chuckling nervously. "As long as I'm getting paid, I really don't care." Tsunade further narrowed her eyes, causing Mayu to believe that she had said the wrong thing. "Anyway, anyway," she continued. "Didn't you say you weren't going to complain?" Naruto only grunted with a scowl on his face.

"Naruto! You haven't matured at all!" Iruka muttered, shaking his head. Now that it was said out loud, Mayu couldn't help but think this situation was familiar somehow. An enlightened look crossed her face. She remembered. On the show, it was Naruto's complaining that led the team to going on that dangerous mission in the Land of Waves. Mayu scratched her cheek. She had been a part of that mission, hadn't she?

_So, are we continuing the mission, Kakashi-sensei?_

_Yes, we are! _

_Alright…! Isn't this great, Sasuke? Now I can show you some more of my skills!_

_Whatever..._

_Man, you _are_ a walking Popsicle!_

_Stop that!_

Eyes widening, her lips parted just a bit. Was that a faded memory? It had to be. The Sakura she knew would never hit Uchiha Sasuke. It must have been her _as_ the pink-haired girl. The memory had, indeed, showed a Sakura with dark hair. Briefly, she wondered if remembering things from the show would trigger her faded memories. After all, she didn't have _amnesia_ in the case of Haruno Sakura. She had merely forgotten over time, truly believing that it had all been a dream.

"Naruto, I assigned you a simpler mission because you haven't been in action for a while. This is also Ishikari Mayu's first mission as herself. I'm trying to let you guys ease into this lifestyle again," Tsunade stated, breaking through Mayu's thoughts.

"That's bull! We don't need you to go easy on us!" Naruto protested. The leader's eyebrows furrowed.

"The details of the mission, that I'm _giving_ you, are written here," the Hokage nearly growled out, placing her hand on a piece of paper. Kakashi, moved forward, nodding his head. Naruto pouted and muttered something about the Third being more understanding. "Did you _say_ something?" Tsunade asked rather loudly. Like a scolded teen, Naruto rolled his eyes and looked away. "That's what I thought."

Suddenly, the door to the room slammed opened, drawing everyone's attention. There panting in the doorway was a teenager. She appeared no older than Mayu. She wore knee-high dark heeled ninja boots on her feet, fishnet stockings, a dark skirt, and a loose long-sleeved red shirt, which hid her hands. Her short hair was pinned back by a black hair clip. Despite the new look, this girl was obviously Haruno Sakura. The green eyes and pink hair were a distinct giveaway. "Hokage-sama! There's an emergency!" she exclaimed.

"Sakura-chan…?" Naruto sounded surprise. Her green eyes focused on the blond. She murmured his name. Clearly she was surprised to see him, too. Then her gaze settled on Mayu. Eyes wide, she only stared. The dark-haired kunoichi shifted awkwardly under that fierce gaze.

"Yo… You…" Sakura muttered.

"Sup…?" Mayu returned, uneasily.

"Sakura, what's the emergency?" Shizune questioned.

The pink-haired teen shook her head a bit, and then hurriedly walked over to the assignment desk. Quickly, she handed the Hokage a message. "I was talking to Yurika-san when this message was sent for her to decode. After she decoded the message, she told me and ordered that I come see you right away. It's huge. From the Sand village!" Sakura explained as Tsunade's eyes scanned over the paper.

"What?" The leader's face took on a look of horror. Kakashi walked back over to his team as Iruka and Shizune looked over the message as well. Both of them sounded and looked similar to the Hokage. Naruto and Mayu couldn't help but furrow their eyebrows, trying to figure out what was going on. Finally, the blond shinobi asked what was up. "The Sand village's Kazekage has been kidnapped by Akatsuki," she answered.

"No way…!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Gaara-kun…?" Mayu muttered in disbelief.

"We have more information pertaining to Akatsuki than they do," Tsunade continued. "That's why they requested assistance from us."

"Tsunade-sama! Don't tell me you're sending Team Kakashi!" Shizune turned her attention towards the Fifth.

"This is an emergency! We don't have time to be picky!" The blond leader closed her eyes. "Besides, Hatake has fought against Akatsuki before." Once again, Shizune tried to protest, but Tsunade wasn't hearing it. "Team Kakashi! I'm assigning you a new mission! You are to go to the Sand, find out more about the situation, and send a report back to the Leaf. You will also follow any of their orders and back them up!"

"Yes!" The three members of Team Kakashi responded in unison.

"Also, my student, Yamanaka Ino, is traveling back to our village as we speak. If you see her, tell her that she is to follow you back to the Sand. This mission will apply to her as well," Tsunade stated, lacing her fingers together. "Failure is _not_ an option!" Once again, the team acknowledged their leader in unison. For a brief moment, there was silence. Then Naruto spoke.

"_Ah_, hey, Granny," he said. An eyebrow belonging to the Fifth twitched, but she did not say anything in response to his rude term of endearment. "This sounds really serious, being that it's about the Kazekage and all. Just so we're clear… This is S-rank mission, right?"

"Huh?" The annoyance clearly showed on Tsunade's face.

"_Ah_! He's right! Are we getting _paid_ for this?" Mayu questioned. "I hear the money for S-rank is _huge_! Or does it divide between members of the team that goes?"

"Who cares? It's probably over a million ryo!" Naruto grinned. "You know how much ramen I can by with that?"

"I could pay Hinata back in one go!"

"GET OUT OF MY OFFICE!" Tsunade shouted.

0-0

"Okay! We're off!" Naruto exclaimed. Team Kakashi, as well as Tsunade and Iruka were gathered at the front gates of the village. The team had been given only fifteen minutes to gather what they felt was necessary for the mission. After all, this mission was of the upmost importance. The chuunin among the group frowned a bit. Seeing Naruto off to a dangerous mission like this right after he had just gotten back—it was a bit uneasy to do so. Still, Iruka put on a front for the sake of the blond shinobi.

"Good luck, Naruto," he told his former pupil. Blue eyes glanced back at the scarred man. Naruto grinned as he adjusted his backpack.

"You got it!"

The team began to walk away from the village. However, another Sanin appeared before them. Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, greeted Naruto. "Going on a mission?" he asked. The blond excitedly nodded his head. "Oh right…" The older ninja walked past the team and headed over to his former teammate. "Tsunade, I have information for you. The Sand's Kazekage has been-"

"Yes, I know!" she interrupted. The blond woman wanted to the team. "I'm sending them off right now." Jiraiya turned towards the group of three, most likely noting the way Naruto proudly nodded his head. The expression on his face was utter disbelief. Quickly, he turned his attention back to Tsunade and began whispering in her ear. Mayu watched the exchange, trying hard to keep the squeal within her. She loved the Jiraiya and Tsunade pairing almost as much as she loved the Naruto and Hinata pairing. Instead, she sighed dreamily, causing Kakashi to look her way, blinking in confusion. Jiraiya walked back over to the team, only to tell Naruto to follow him.

Mayu shrugged a bit, and then turned in the direction that they were headed. She narrowed her eyes and frowned as her thoughts turned to the organization that had captured Gaara. _"Akatsuki…"_ she thought. Admittedly, she knew little to nothing about the band of people, but she did know of Uchiha Itachi and his partner Hoshigaki Kisame. Those two had tried to take Naruto before. According to Hinata, she had encountered those two, which had ultimately caused the both of them to be comatose until the Fifth had healed them. Those two had failed with Naruto, so now they were going after Gaara. Was it because of the beasts within them? That was the major thing Naruto and Gaara had in common, after all. _"Looks like they made a mistake this time around…"_ A smirk crossed her face. _"They chose the wrong person to kidnap."_

"Kakashi-sensei! Mayu!" Naruto enthused voice brought the kunoichi from her thoughts. He had gotten ahead of her already. "Let's get moving!"

"Yeah!" Mayu quickly matched the blonde's pace. Kakashi nodded his head and moved to walk between the two genin.

"All together now," he told them. The three of them jumped from the ground and headed to the trees. Apparently, jumping through the forest was much faster than going on the open road.

"_Gaara-kun…__ I'm going to find you, and when I do, Akatsuki will know hell!"_ Mayu thought.

0-0

"_Oi_! Naruto!" Mayu glanced at her side where the blond currently was. The team had been traveling for more than a few hours already. Bored is what Mayu became. She thought she would have gotten tired before the boredom set in. However, that was not the case. When blue eyes turned her way, the kunoichi continued. "I meant to ask before about something you said, but it slipped my mind," she began. Naruto blinked twice. "Seeing Sakura when we were assigned the mission made me remember. You told me that you hoped we'd be on the same team because you had no teammates. I know about Sasuke, but what happened with Sakura?" For a few moments, Naruto didn't reply. "Naruto…?"

"_Ah_… Sakura-chan… decided that she didn't want to be a ninja anymore," he finally murmured. "Soon after our mission to retrieve Sasuke ended in failure, she suddenly came to me and Kakashi-sensei and told us that she had quit the team."

"What? Why?"

"_Hm_… 'I'm going to start following my own path,' is what she said," Kakashi stated. "Soon after, she became the student of Shizune-san. Technically, she is a ninja. Only, she doesn't go on missions like normal ninja."

"_Eh_…" For a moment, Mayu closed her eyes. Obviously, she didn't continue watching the show. However, she was certain that Sakura had become the student of the Hokage—not her assistant's student. Perhaps her presence had something to do with Sakura's decision. The pink-haired girl _did_ recognize her. But Mayu couldn't read the girl's expression at that time. She had no idea what Haruno Sakura had been thinking at that moment. Mayu sighed as she opened her eyes. _Jeez_—just how many people knew of her, and how did it affect the original storyline? She wished she could just remember everything already.

"There's Temari," Kakashi stated. The three ninja jumped down to the road where the Sand kunoichi was located. She turned just as the three landed in front of her. Furrowing her brow, she asked why they were looking for her. Kakashi quickly gave the rundown about the current situation. Expectedly the Sand kunoichi was horrified by the news. "It'll take us two days to get to the Sand village," Kakashi continued. "On a side note, we should be meeting up with Ino soon. Let's move-"

"_Hm_—sooner than you think," Temari replied, nodding her head. Without explanation for her statement, the older kunoichi turned her back to the three. She raised a brow. "Well, if it isn't the pig of the Leaf village." Team Kakashi peeked out from behind Temari to see a female standing a few meters away from them. Her hair was long and blond, tied in a high ponytail. Her long band covered her right eye. Her visible light blue eye was narrowed into a glare. She appeared to be in Naruto and Mayu's age group. She wore a short purple sleeveless blouse, which showed off her toned stomach. She also wore an open apron skirt over a shorter black skirt. Mesh material was worn on her elbows and knees. Although older, the person was Yamanaka Ino, student of the Fifth Hokage.

"Ino!" Naruto exclaimed. He was ignored. The blond kunoichi seemed entirely focused on Temari.

"Sand wench! I've got you right where I want you!" The kunoichi from the Leaf ran towards Temari, fist at the ready. The older kunoichi merely rolled her eyes, and then removed her giant fan from her back. Once in range, Ino was blown away by the unnatural gust that came when Temari swung her weapon. The blond screamed until her back hit a tree. Team Kakashi could only stare at the exchange highly confused, and mildly amused. Ino stood up, rubbing the back of her head, appearing a bit shaken.

"She gonna be alright?" Mayu asked, pointing a finger.

"She's fine," Temari answered, putting her weapon back into place. "We do this all the time." The nonchalance in her voice caused Mayu to warily take a step back.

"One of these days, Sand wench…!" Ino pointed a finger at the indifferent blond. "I'm _going_ to beat you!"

"Don't count on it, pig," Temari muttered, rolling her eyes again.

"You-"

"Yamanaka Ino!" Kakashi finally raised his voice. He effectively caused the ranting to end and made Ino start paying attention. Her eyes widen at seeing who else was present. "We currently have orders from the Hokage that apply to you as well. All of us will go to the Sand for this important and dangerous mission." Once more, the jounin told the details of the mission.

"What? Gaara-"

"Yes, which is why we can't afford to waste anymore time!" Mayu interrupted Ino. The blonde's light blue eyes focused on the dark-haired kunoichi. "The most important thing right now is saving Gaara-kun! Let's go, Ino!"

"Y-Yes!"

Once again, the group was off, heading towards the Sand village.

0-0

As it turned out, Mayu had barely gotten two hours of sleep. It had turned from day to night. The group of ninja had no choice but to rest. Everyone was still sleeping at the moment. The sun would rise, though, judging from the sky's slowly changing colors. Mayu sighed lightly, gazing aimlessly down at the ground below her. Whilst everyone was sleeping on the forest floor, she was sitting, legs hanging over the tree's branch. Soon the owl's hooting would be replaced by the chirping of the morning birds.

The reason she couldn't sleep was because her mind was on the red head. Hinata had told her that she had been willing to fight for Gaara when the Sand had attacked their village, along with the Sound. In the end, Gaara had not transformed. The situation had never escalated to the point where he had to. Hinata had even stated that Mayu had kissed Gaara. The kunoichi bit her lip and closed her eyes. _"Before, I thought nothing of it, but… Gaara-kun… Are you my precious friend?"_ she thought.

That was when the kunoichi felt added weight to the branch she was sitting on. She opened her eyes and looked to her right out of the corner of her eyes. Ino was moving to sit beside her. For more than a moment, the two kunoichi merely sat there in silence. Then Ino cleared her throat. "Hey…" she began. Mayu turned her neck. "You're Ishikari Mayu, aren't you?" The dark-haired girl almost rolled her eyes. Introductions had been taken care of _hours_ ago. "Are you same Mayu that is friends with Hyuga Hinata? The one from the chuunin exam? The one that Gaara—I mean, the _Kazekage_ claims to be his first friend?"

Mayu's eyebrows knitted together. Gaara—he considered _her_ his first friend? She didn't know. But she supposed it made sense. She had loved him as a fangirl, but apparently her feelings for him went beyond that. Again, the dark-haired girl pondered if the red head was her precious friend. "_Ah_, I guess so…" Mayu finally answered. She turned her gaze away from the blond. "How long were you in the Sand? You seem close with Temari-san… and Gaara-kun." Mayu didn't see it, but Ino pursed her lips in a thin line and averted her stare.

"Master Tsunade gave me the mission of going to the Sand village two months ago to help them in the medical department," the purple-clad kunoichi muttered. "I spent most of my relaxation time with them… Kankuro, too." Ino sighed heavily. "Things were just fine when I had left. I still can't believe this happened."

"So you found out about me through Gaara-kun?" Mayu asked, changing the subject. At the moment, she didn't want to think about his kidnapping.

"That's right. He… talks about you sometimes," Ino answered. "Temari told me a few things, too. Despite the demon inside him… you treated him with friendship. He admires you, Mayu."

"_Damn…" _she thought. Now more than anything, she wished she could remember everything. She wanted to remember and feel that impactful moment when Gaara had become someone precious to her. "Anyway… Ino, I wanted to ask you this."

"_Hm_?"

"Why did you become the Hokage's student? Is there a special reason?" Mayu continued. Ino looked up in thought.

"I… made the decision right after the mission to retrieve Sasuke ended in failure," she stated. "My teammates came back hurt. All I could think of is what if Master Tsunade wasn't there? Chouji could have died." The girl lowered her eyelids as the memories rushed to her mind. "I wanted to make sure my teammates were never in life-threatening situations ever again. That's the initial reason I sought her out. She's the best medical ninja the world's ever known. To be the best, I wanted to be trained by the best."

"I see…" Mayu blinked. Ino sounded like she really cared for her teammates. She raised a brow. Wait a minute. She had only mentioned one of her teammates. Could it be…? "Ne, Ino…" Light blue eyes shifted in Mayu's direction again. "Do you like Chouji?" It was an innocent question. Many people liked to pair the two teammates up as much as they liked to pair her with Nara Shikamaru. Personally, Mayu was partial to the Shikamaru and Temari pairing.

"WHAT?" Ino didn't seem to think it was an innocent question. Her screech caused the others to groan and turn in their sleep. "Absolutely not!" she hissed in a quieter voice. "There's no way! Besides, I already have someone I like!"

"Hey, you're going to wake someone up, you know," Mayu muttered, digging a pinky in her ear.

"Too late, we already heard the pig's squeal," Temari's voice made the two younger kunoichi turned. The Sand ninja was already standing while the others were yawning or stretching.

"Shut up, Sand wench!" Ino growled out. She hopped up and turned. She was about to jump, but Mayu next question caused her to halt.

"So… You gonna tell me who your boyfriend is?" she asked. To Mayu's surprise, the blond nearly fell out of the tree.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Ino actually stammered that out. Mayu blinked in confusion. This was new behavior. Hinata didn't even stutter anymore. "But… I'm working on it." Ino blushed lightly, too.

"Who is it?"

"Like I'm going to tell!" Ino frowned and jumped from the branch.

"_Haah… Shikamaru, huh? Temari-san has competition after all,"_ Mayu thought. By this time, she noticed the sun peeking out from behind a hill.

"Okay, break time's over," Kakashi stated.

"Yes! We only have one more day until we reach the Sand. Let's hurry!" Mayu stood up, clenching her fist.

0-0

Team Kakashi, as well as Temari and Ino, quickly ran forward. The entrance to the Sand village was so close. The group would have been there sooner. However, the sandstorm had postponed their travels. Finally, the village was within sight. With clenched teeth, the three kunoichi of the group stopped in front of the two guards. Behind them, Naruto and Kakashi came to a stop a second later. "We've been waiting for you!" one of the guards spoke.

"Temari-san and Ino-san were with you?" the other question.

"Please, this way!" The first one quickly turned and headed into the village, causing the others to follow after him. They ran through the streets of the Sand village, listening to the guides explained the situation.

"_What_? They got Kankuro, _too_?" Temari repeated.

"Yes. After Kazekage-sama was abducted, Kankuro-dono went after him."

"It's just like that idiot to do something so stupid!" Ino remarked, almost snarling. Still, it sounded as though she was more than a little worried.

"He was poisoned by the enemy, and we don't know how to remove the poison!"

"Everything will be fine! I'm back, and I'll take care of it!" Ino stated.

They had reached the hospital in minutes. It had taken even less time to find Kankuro's room. "Kankuro!" Temari shouted as she and Ino rushed into the room. Ino threw her bag on the floor as she made her way over to the bed. Before Kakashi, Naruto, and Mayu could enter, an old lady spotted them and prepared her attacking, shouting out curses. Naruto immediately went into defense mode. He created a clone and tried to attack her. As it turns out, his defense mode was really his attack mode. The elderly woman's fist made contact with Naruto's hand while his clone tried to punch the attack. The woman merely kicked out, destroying the clone. The other clone launched forward, preparing to punch, but the old woman jumped back.

"OG…?" Mayu murmured.

"Why the hell are you attacking Kakashi-sensei, you wrinkly old bitch?" Naruto hollered.

"The Leaf village's White Fang! How dare you, you wretched scum? How I've longed to avenge my son! This is for him!"

"Yup," Mayu said to herself. "Definitely an original gangsta."

Before she could attack again, another elderly person placed his hand on her shoulder. "Take a closer look, Nee-chan," he said. He does resemble the White Fang, but that's not him.

"_Where the hell are his eyes…?"_ Mayu thought.

"Besides, the White Fang died a long time ago," the old man continued. The elderly woman looked slightly disappointed. "Remember? When you heard, you got really angry and started screaming about how you hadn't avenged your son yet. Isn't that right, Nee-chan?" The entire room was silent after the old man finished talking.

"Just kidding! I was just pretending to be senile!" The elderly woman began laughing nervously.

"You've got to be kidding…" Mayu rolled her eyes.

Kankuro suddenly shouted, bringing everyone else out of their stupor. Ino immediately went to work. "Leave everything to me!" she exclaimed. "I'll take care of this."

"We're counting on you… Ino," Temari said. The younger blond slowly nodded her head.

"Alright! Everyone, stand back!" she ordered. As demanded, most of the people left the room. From the hallway's benches, the others watched the kunoichi work. She placed her head on Kankuro's chest. Only after a short moment, she lifted her head. "The poison that was used on him was refined from heavy metals," she stated. "It's the type that gets into the muscles and annihilates the cells." Someone whispered how her quick examination of the patient was amazing. "Where's the medical chart?"

"Right here." One medic passed the chart to Ino. "Also, this shows the poison's composition, though it's a few blank spots." Her light blue eyes scanned over the paper.

"I'll fill those in," Ino replied. "His heart muscles are being destroyed right now, so it could stop working at any moment. Even if I do create an antidote, it might not stop the damage in time."

"No way! You can help him, can't you?" Temari desperately asked.

"Temari, Kankuro's an important person to me. I won't let anything happen to him," Ino responded with a determined look in her eyes. The older blond bit her lip before curtly nodding. "Gather the items I tell you to right now!" Ino commanded the others in the room.

"Yes, ma'am!" two medics replied in unison.

0-0

An entire hour had passed. Mayu could barely keep her eyes open. She was definitely regretting not taking that break time when the group had been traveling to the Sand village. But before sleep could completely take the kunoichi, Ino's loud proclamation caused her eyes to shoot open. Apparently, the blond Leaf ninja had done something most impressive. Mayu rubbed at her eye and looked around. She stood up and walked into Kankuro's room. Naruto followed behind. "I've gotten most of the poison out. Kankuro's life isn't in danger anymore.

"That is quite amazing, Ino," Kakashi remarked, halting by Naruto's side. The blond kunoichi grinned.

"What can I say? Master Tsunade taught me well!" Her light blue eyes turned back to Kankuro's body. "But we can't rest yet. He still needs an antidote."

"Understood. If there's anything you need just say the word," Baki said. Immediately, Ino began giving orders like she ran the place. Surprisingly, her demands were being met with no complaints. Then again, the blond kunoichi had spent months in the Sand village, helping to cultivate their medical division.

"_I'm so glad!"_ Mayu thought, sighing heavily. Kankuro got hurt after trying to save his brother. According to his comrades, he had seemed desperate to bring back his sibling. That led Mayu to believe that the two brothers had become really close since the Invasion of the Sand and Sound. The Leaf kunoichi walked back out of the room, following Kakashi and Baki. She sat down just as a person walked up, saying that a reply had come from the Leaf. Baki took the message and stated that it was from the Hokage. No shit.

"What did Granny Tsunade say?" Naruto questioned.

"She sent Gai's team here as reinforcements," Kakashi answered.

"Fuzzy-brow's…?"

"Naruto! His _name's_ Lee-kun!" Mayu hissed at her teammate. The blond merely stuck his tongue out at her.

"I bet everyone's gotten stronger. I heard Neji reached jounin status," Naruto continued, ignoring Mayu's attempts at strangling him. Kakashi held her back, of course.

"_Just because I don't hit him regularly, he's become comfortable!"_ Mayu thought. She frowned, calming down in Kakashi's arms. He would learn sooner or later not to mess with her when she's tired. Scoffing, she shrugged the jounin off. Kakashi sighed, and then turned his attention to Baki.

"If I may ask," he began. "How are you tracking Akatsuki?" Baki averted his gaze for a moment before explaining. "So, you've completely lost track of them?" Kakashi, indifferently, summarized the main point. The Sand ninja begrudgingly agreed. Then a man's shout caught the attention of the ninja in the hallway. Apparently, Kankuro had regained consciousness. The group entered the room and surrounded the bed.

"Kankuro… Are you alright?" Temari asked.

"You're back, already, Temari?" The groggy reply caused the Sand kunoichi to chuckle lightly. The two siblings continued to chit-chat while the others looked on. Finally, Kakashi asked to be taken to the place where Kankuro fight. However, the puppet ninja sat up. "Don't bother," Kankuro muttered. "All my puppets were recovered, right?" This question was directed to another. One medic nodded and rushed off to get them. He came back, laying the giant bundle near the bed. "There were two enemies. One of them took Gaara," he continued. "Track Gaara's scent and you'll find him. And in case they split up, I can give you the other guy's scent…" He pointed to one of his destroyed puppets. The hand of the puppet opened, revealing a dark piece of cloth. "I had Karasu's hand take a piece of his mask.

Kakashi picked the torn cloth from the puppet's hand. "You still put up a fight even when you're down," he remarked. "Nothing less from a Sand shinobi." Kankuro smirked at the compliment before doubling over in pain. Temari fretted over her injured brother, but he was more concerned with the other Leaf ninja in the room.

"You…" For a moment, his eyes squeezed shut. "Your dark skin… and blue eyes… Gaara mentioned you."

"_Hm_. Ino told me that Gaara-kun told you and her about me," Mayu said. "Pleasure to meet you in my flesh." For her comment, the kunoichi was looked at as though she had grown an extra eyeball.

"Kankuro…" the crazy old woman from before finally spoke again. "Are you sure—absolutely sure that one of the two Akatsuki you followed was Sasori?"

"Chiyo-baasama! Ebizou-jiisama!" The Sand shinobi seemed awfully surprised to see the two. Then he narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure. He said so himself. Sasori of the Red Sand."

"Sasori of the Red Sand?" Kakashi repeated. "Could we hear more about Akatsuki? I'm counting on you."

"This guy… Was he the one to take Gaara-kun? This Sandy Red guy?" Mayu questioned. Before she could be answered, Ino's loud proclamation rang through everyone's ears. She had done it again, apparently. The blond had disappeared previously. Now she had returned, bearing an antidote. As Ino was giving the medicine to Kankuro, Mayu turned her eyes to the window. He had become late. The sky was dark now.

"That stuff was nasty!" Kankuro's voice coughed out, which caused Mayu to begin paying attention again. Ino smirked

"What were you expecting—the taste of hamburger steak? Get real, Kankuro," she quipped, adding a snicker. Then her face softened and a smile appeared. "Never mind that, though… You should feel better soon. Stay in bed until the trembling stops. This is an order!" Kankuro almost glared.

"Bossy ass girl," he muttered. Ino looked as though she might've hit him, but Baki interrupted by commenting on how late it was. He then told the group that rooms have been prepared for them.

"We're going to have some difficult battles tomorrow. It'd be best to get some sleep before then," Kakashi nodded his head in agreement.

"We can eat, too, right? Does the Sand village have ramen?" Naruto asked. He, as well as the rest of Team Kakashi, began to head for the door.

"Ishikari… Mayu…" Kankuro called out. The dark-haired kunoichi turned. Her gaze landed on the puppet ninja. "Like before…" His teeth clenched for a moment before continued. "Like before please save my brother!" Temari and Ino seemed shocked by his words. Mayu merely stared at him.

"Who do you think I am?" she asked. Then she grinned. "I'll find Gaara-kun and bring him home. There's no need to plead me to do that. After all, he is my precious friend." Mayu shifted the weight of her bag to her shoulder. "Besides, it'd be great to have a Kage owe me a favor, _ne_?"

"You have some serious money issues, Mayu," Naruto commented.

He was immediately hit upside the head.

0-0

As you may, or may not, have noticed, Naruto is not behaving the same way he did in canon. He didn't cry. He didn't have many outbursts. Why? Simple, really. Recall that in _My Life as Hyuga Hinata_ when that invasion of the Sound and Sand happened, Gaara and Naruto did not fight. Before it reached that point, Mayu interfered and stopped the transformation of Gaara. Also, Gaara was too weak from fighting Sasuke, so he fell unconscious. That is what happened, and so Naruto and Gaara did not bond over fighting and their demons. Now, unlike Gaara, Naruto knows about the demon inside inside the other person. Still, that doesn't really matter in my opinion. Deal with it. This ain't canon. Hasn't been for a long time.

Some of you were asking about Sakura, and so I added her in there. Originally, she wasn't supposed to make an entrance until after Saving Gaara, but since you asked, I obliged. Expect a confrontation between her and Mayu, perhaps even a **clash**? Fufufu!

On an ending note, the next chapter, chapter six, is already revised and complete. But I'm really hoping to reach 80 reviews before I update. I'm leaving it in your hands, dear reviewers. That's only fifteen reviews for this chapter. You can do it! But then again, I'd _probably_ be satisfied with 75 and update before the 80th review. Whatever the case, tell me your thoughts!


	6. Past and Present

It had happened again. What was it—the fifth time already? Different dream. Different encounter. Same stranger. Mayu wondered why this was happening. What was up with her own mind? This time, instead of the teenage stranger covering her eyes with his hand, she had been blindfolded in her dream. It was fairly annoying. Especially since she had felt an inkling of familiarity this time.

In her dream, she had been standing at the top of a waterfall, on solid ground of course. For awhile, she had merely stared straight ahead, listening to the sound of the water violently hitting the lake below. Then he had showed up, covering her eyes with a blindfold. Once again, he had complained about her not being able to see him. And once again, Mayu had attempted to kick him. It had been fruitless to fight him, though. Apparently, her body didn't really want to cause harm to the stranger. Her mind sure had when he had abruptly pushed her hard, causing her to fall over the waterfall. He had followed after her, but still… What a jerk he had been. Something akin to a blackout had occurred and the next thing she knew, he had been hovering over her, water dripping from his face and splashing against her cheeks and mouth. Albeit, she still had not seen him, but she had felt him there. He had asked if she still didn't know how to swim. For some reason, she had given him an honest answer. No. He had chuckled, and then had called her cocoon. Still, she hadn't gotten angry. His cheek had rubbed against hers as he had told her to remember him soon.

Mayu frowned, recalling the bizarre dream. She had desperately wanted to see his face. However, once again, she had woken up before that could happen. Yamanaka Ino had been to one to wake her, saying that she had been groaning in her sleep. The blond had thought she was having a nightmare. _"Is it considered a nightmare if I __want to continue having it?" _Mayu thought. She shut her eyes and sighed a bit. Whatever.

Now wasn't the time to be thinking of the stranger from her past. Not now. Currently, it was the next morning. The Leaf ninja were all ready to get out there and complete their mission. According to Kakashi, the Sand ninja had to complete their preparations before all of them could leave. The dark-haired kunoichi stretched and cracked her knuckles in boredom. The Sand's preparations were taking longer than expected. Just as Naruto was about to complain—honestly, she could tell by now—Temari and other ninja of the Sand showed up. The group walked towards them with a quick pace.

"Sorry for making you wait," sister of the Kazekage tilted her head down.

"Then we're all here?" Kakashi murmured.

"_Yosh_! Let's go already!" Ino exclaimed, clenching her fist.

"Wait!" A loud and deep voice caused the ninja to turn. Baki was making their way towards the group. His expression looked a bit grave. The man stopped in front of the Sand ninja. "Temari, you and your team will remain here on border patrol duty."

"What? Are you kidding me?" Temari was not happy with this news. Unfortunately, the news was orders, coming from the higher ups, though. In fear that another village could attack them, knowing their Kazekage was missing, they were being precautious. "But that's why we need to rescue Gaara as soon as possible, right?" The Sand kunoichi gestured to the Leaf ninja. "These guys came all the way from their home to help us! Even Ino came back! Gaara is supposed to be our Kazekage! They have to send someone from the Sand!"

Baki looked momentarily flustered. Just what was he supposed to tell her? It was an order from The Sand's superiors. There's no way that he could possibly go back on an order. But Temari was still young; he had to come up with something that would put her mind at ease. "But..." Baki began. However, he couldn't think of one at the moment.

"I'll go..." a voice stated. The voice was female and it sound as if it was coming from above. Everyone looked up to see Chiyo standing on a nearby building. The old woman's clothing flapped against the warm breeze. It made her look so dramatic in Mayu's opinion. "If you need Sand ninja, I'll be more than enough."

"But you can't!" Baki began to protest. A sly grin appeared on Chiyo's wrinkled face.

"I'm retired, I can do whatever I want!" she retorted.

"But, you mustn't force yourself to...!" another Sand shinobi started.

"Don't treat me like an old lady!" Chiyo said with defiance, and then she jumped right off the building's edge! Ino and Naruto gaped as she was descending. The old woman landed right in front of the two blonds.

_"__I knew it__!"_ Mayu thought, grinning. _"__Granny Chiyo really is OG__!"_ The old woman stood up straight, though it took some time. She commented on how long it had been since she had seen her grandson. "Whatever your reason for going—let's just _get_ going," Mayu said. The others nodded their head. "We have a Kage to save!"

0-0

The group of five traveled quickly through the forest. With Kakashi in the lead, the three youngest ninja behind him, and Chiyo backing them up, they moved in silence. It had been quite some time since the ninja left the Sand village. So far, the trip had been relatively silent. Each ninja had their own thoughts pertaining to the current mission. For the squad leader, it was just another mission—a mission of high importance, but a mission regardless. Kakashi wanted nothing more to end the mission quickly and keep Naruto safe. That was his duty. Jiraiya expected it of him.

Naruto, himself, wanted to reach Akatsuki as soon as possible. This was a chance to encounter those guys again. He narrowed his eyes at the path in front of him. Mayu had said their names before. Hoshigaki Kisame and Uchiha Itachi. The latter was the one who had caused both Sasuke and Mayu pain. That man had placed Mayu under a horrifying genjutsu, which caused both she and Hinata to suffer. Not only that, but he was also the person Sasuke wanted to kill. Fighting him—maybe it would end up helping. He could relay information to his best after they reunited.

Ino, as she moved, could not help that her eyes glanced in Naruto's direction every so often. Unlike the others in her age group from the Leaf village, she knew of his secret—his burden. For a second, her eyes closed. Uzumaki Naruto was just like Gaara. It made her feel sick, knowing that the two of them went through some of the same things. However, there was a big difference. Where Naruto gradually began forming strong bonds, Gaara didn't have that luxury. Alone, he had turned into someone to fear and hate, and had actually reveled in that. If it wasn't for Mayu, would Gaara be the same as he was? The blond kunoichi swallowed hard. Whatever the case, she felt bad for both Gaara and Naruto. They had to go through so much pain to reach this point. Her fingers curled into fists. She wouldn't let Akatsuki take it all away from Gaara.

Mayu's eyes twitched. It felt as though they had been traveling for hours now. Admittedly, she was anxious. The Akatsuki had succeeded in taking her favorite red head. Who knows what they were doing to him? Were they even keeping him alive? Hastily, she shook her head. She couldn't think that way. Gaara was going to be fine. They would save him just in time. Still… doubts plagued her mind. Would they end up saving him whole? When she was younger, she saw the episode where Itachi and Kisame had come to take Naruto away. The blue, shark-looking man had wanted to remove Naruto's legs to prevent him from running away. Could that mean that they didn't need the hosts of demons to have valuable body parts in order for their plans to work? The thought caused her stomach to turn. Subconsciously, the kunoichi picked up her pace.

"_Hm_, something wrong, Mayu?" Kakashi asked. The kunoichi blinked, noticing that she was now at the jounin's side.

"_Uh_… Well… It's strange, isn't it?" Those behind her also gave her befuddled looks. "I mean, why did Akatsuki choose to go after Gaara-kun now? It would have easier to take him when…" Mayu trailed off.

"When no one cared about him," Ino finished, lowering her head.

"When he was vulnerable and alone," Naruto muttered. He clutched the part of his jacket that covered his belly. "Mayu's right. Why now when he's the leader of his village."

"I… do not know the reason for it," Kakashi stated. "Perhaps they do not care for political standing. Perhaps something prevented them to going after him in the past."

"Whatever their reasoning, I want to know why they kidnapped him in the first place," Ino's lip twitched, trying to keep the snarl from her face. "What could they possible wan-"

"Obviously, they want his Bijuu," Chiyo finally spoke up.

"His… demon?" Ino murmured. "Then they want his power? I wonder what they plan on doing with it. It's not like they it's easy to control such massive chakra."

"Who knows…?" Chiyo shrugged. Naruto frowned. Once again, the group traveled in silence. Only the sounds of their feet, hitting the tree branches were heard.

Eventually, Kakashi made a move. "We're close—everyone on the ground," he ordered. Nodding, the other ninja followed instructions and followed the jounin to the forest floor. The squad made it to a small clearing when suddenly Kakashi halted, spreading his arms out. "Everyone, stop!" Furrowing his brow, the blond shinobi peeked out from behind his sensei. His eyes grew wide. There, standing mere meters away was a person he had met in the past. Long dark hair, deep red penetrating eyes—it could only be one person.

"Who is _that_?" Ino noticed as well.

"Uchiha… Itachi?" Mayu raised a brow. "I didn't think he'd appear so soon." The blond kunoichi sharply turned to her. She knew a person who was a member of Akatsuki? Just who was this girl?

"Itachi…" Chiyo stepped forward. "This is him? The kid who wiped out his entire clan?"

"It's been some time, Kakashi-san, Naruto-kun… and Mayu-chan," Itachi greeted politely. Two pairs of eyes, belonging to Ino and Chiyo, expanded in surprise. Then the blond kunoichi turned her focus on Mayu again. She, however, appeared dazed. Finally she opened her mouth.

"Naruto," she began.

"_Hm_?" The blond shinobi's eyes didn't stray from the enemy's form. Mayu noticed this and grabbed onto his ear. "OW!"

"I'd like to have a word with you," she finished, ignoring the looks and her teammate's wails of pain. She yanked him behind Kakashi's face. She placed her face near his. Mouthing her words, she continued. "How this fool know me?" she questioned. Luckily, Naruto caught on to what he needed to do. He, too, mouthed his response.

"You met him around the same time I first did," he stated. "He put you under a genjutsu and made you attack Sasuke. You really kicked his ass, too." Mayu blinked. "But I… _somehow_ made you laugh hysterically. Then you told us '_Haha_, bitches, I know how to get out of genjutsu—especially a weak one like that!' It was a pretty good act."

"I said that?"

"Well, not _that_ exactly, but that's how you _sounded_." Mayu rolled her eyes. "Anyway, this guy put you under another genjutsu, but it was much stronger than the last one. You couldn't escape, and in the end, you were seriously hurt and were sent back to Hinata."

"He's responsible for inadvertently hurting my best friend…?"

"Pretty much-" Naruto smirked. "Looks like we're in the same boat, right, Mayu?"

"Perhaps," she answered, closing her eyes for a moment.

"_Why did I have to be their shield?"_ Kakashi thought, sighing. _"Am I just an object now? They use__d to be so cute, too."_ At last, the two genin of Team Kakashi came from behind their sensei. Mayu stood on his left, while Naruto stood at his right. "Got everything sorted out?" They nodded. "Good—don't do that again." The jounin focused his attention back on Itachi. "Listen closely, everyone! Don't look directly into his eyes, or you're finished!" The warning was practically shouted, causing everyone's eyes to shift in his direction. "Itachi's genjutsu are eye techniques. In other words, they take effect through your vision. You're okay as long as your eyes don't meet his."

"How are we supposed to fight him then?" Ino asked.

"You… focus on his feet and body, and attack based on how he moves."

"The Uchiha clan?" Chiyo muttered. "It's been a long time since I've fought a Sharingan user. They're nothing special, though. They are plenty of ways to fight eye techniques. When it's one-on-one, run away," the old kunoichi explained. "When it's two-on-one, get him from behind." Mayu had to stop herself from laughing out loud. "The first one is obvious, right? In that situation, you can't win. But if it's two-on-one… If one person gets caught up in a genjutsu, the other can attack the guy from behind. And if you attack the user, the genjutsu vanishes. Or if attack isn't possible, you can dispel the genjutsu by hitting your ally. In other words, since there are several of us, one person will be the diversion, and the rest will attack the Sharingan's blind spot."

"I guess old people have their uses!" Naruto exclaimed. "Okay, I'll attack!"

"OBJECTION!" Mayu yelled, halting the blond shinobi in his tracks. "That won't work!"

"Child, are you saying my tactics for fighting the Sharingan are wrong?" Chiyo sounded very displeased by the thought.

"Sorry, OG, but your tactics for fighting _this_ Sharingan are wrong," Mayu said. "That's not your fault, though. You don't know who this person really is. My comrades seemed to have forgotten, so let me fill you in." She scratched her cheek before continuing. "This is Uchiha Itachi, the _genius_ of his clan. He graduated from the Leaf village's ninja school at the age of seven. He mastered his Sharingan at the age of eight. He passed the chuunin exam when he was ten, then moved on to become ANBU captain at thirteen. Soon after, he killed an entire clan of _elite_ ninja." Mayu sighed heavily. "I hate to be the one bringing the cold truth, but this guy ain't no normal Sharingan user." She narrowed her eyes. "As for your tactics, OG, he has the Mangekyou Sharingan. Once you're caught by his genjutsu, there is no escape. As a person on the receiving end of his most powerful genjutsu, let me tell you that comrades won't be able to help you. Hell, they won't even know that you're in trouble. While it would only appear to be a second to them, it would seem like hours or days of torture for the one who is caught."

"Then he's a very dangerous opponent," Chiyo stated. "Just who is he?"

"Just what I'd expect from you, Mayu-chan," Itachi said. Though it was a compliment, his expression didn't change. He still appeared stoic. Still, the dark-haired kunoichi had to stop herself from scratching her cheek. "You are… so much like you mother." At that comment, Mayu frowned.

"I'm not finished," she scowled. "Not only is Uchiha Itachi strong, but his partner is also crazy strong. Hoshigaki Kisame, where is _he_?" At the moment, Mayu ignored the remark about her mother. Right now, she had to focus on surviving and keeping everyone else alive. Speaking of which, her comrades looked shocked. Frantically, they began searching the area. "Lurking in the shadows somewhere, waiting for the moment to kill one of us?"

"He is not here," Itachi stated.

"Oh…? Then please, give me one good reason why I should trust a traitor like you?" Mayu requested. The Uchiha narrowed his eyes and frowned. "_Oooh_, did I touch a nerve?"

"I am more than enough to handle you all," Itachi said. There was one thing the dark-haired kunoichi truly despised—that was being underestimated. The man in front of her might be considered the strongest in his generation, but he didn't have to be arrogant about it. Mayu nearly snarled and took a step forward. Luckily, Kakashi was there to hold her back. He placed an arm in front of her, preventing her from running towards the enemy. "Besides," Itachi continued. "Having your partner, lurking in the shadows, waiting for a chance to strike—that was your tactic against me, wasn't it?" Mayu remained silent, not knowing what the man was getting at. "Tell me, should I remain where I am in fear of Nana and her claws?"

"Nana…?" Mayu repeated. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Wha-" Her hand reached up and grabbed her head. "Th-This-" Her body began trembling. Her pupils grew and shrunk at alarming speeds. Confused by her sudden shift in behavior, Kakashi's hand touched her shoulder. He was about to ask if she was alright. However, the scream that erupted from the girl's mouth told everyone she was not alright—not at all.

"_Eh_? A genjutsu?" Ino exclaimed as her comrade continued to scream out.

"N-No… NO!" Mayu fell to her knees. By now, both hands were grabbing at her head.

"This is not the work of genjutsu," Kakashi stated, removing his hand from Mayu's shoulder. "I cannot reach her."

"It would appear…" Itachi said, drawing attention. "That Mayu-chan is… Her memories are returning to her."

"_Memories?"_ Naruto sharply turned his head back to his teammate. His eyes expanded. _"This… could be good."_ Still, he felt completely helpless just watching her suffer through it by herself. Minutes passed, and the screaming finally stopped. Surprisingly, the enemy remained idle. Tears fell from her eyes, yet she did not sob. She did release several shuddering breaths.

"Ho-How could you… Itachi?" Mayu whispered. She closed her eyes. More tears fell. Her teeth clenched. "I'll… make you pay!"

"Mayu…!" Kakashi's exclamation diverted the girl's attention. "I will take him." Both Naruto and Mayu glared at the jounin. The kunoichi stood up, looking about to protest.

"What?" Naruto shouted. "I want to fight him! I _need_ to fight him! Don't tell me you mean 'not fighting is our teamwork' again!"

"No, this time I need you to back me up…" Kakashi admitted. "While I'd like to act cool and say, 'You go on ahead—deliver your justice' … I won't be able to hold him off by myself."

"… Fine," Naruto murmured. Mayu wiped the wetness from her face. She wasn't thinking logically about the situation. She definitely needed to calm down. Involving her feelings could get someone killed. This was Uchiha Itachi, after all. He had put both Kakashi and herself in a comatose state. They needed to be cautious around this enemy.

"I see…" Itachi said, lifting his hand. His finger uncurled and pointed at the group. The movement caused Mayu to look at his hand. "It is time."

"I'll attack first!" Kakashi said, and then charged towards Itachi. He threw a punch, but Itachi only blocked it with his hand. Another Itachi—a clone—appeared and headed for the others. Naruto rushed forward, preparing to take on Itachi directly. His powerful jutsu, the Rasengan, swirled in his open palm. The clone of Itachi continued towards the group, performing several hand signs. Three other clones came into existence. Two of them picked up speed and jumped over Naruto. The two clones attacked Chiyo and Ino. The blond kunoichi was punched in the gut while the older kunoichi was kicked in the face. Both were sent flying, backs hitting trees behind him.

A shout of pain caused Mayu to shift her attention. Naruto lay on the ground, body riddled with shuriken. "NARUTO!" she shouted. The clones all turned in her direction. Slowly, they began walking her way. Blue eyes glanced to see her sensei on the ground as well. He wasn't moving. _"So fast…!"_ Everything had happened in an instance. Itachi was definitely not a normal ninja. Wait a minute… She took a glance at Kakashi again. His body was turning to ash. Her eyes expanded. _"Genjutsu…? Damn, how'd he get me?__ But it's normal, isn't it?"_

Mayu closed her eyes. This wasn't like the jutsu Kakashi had tried to pull on her and Naruto before. This was all in her head—everything. Her comrades probably didn't know that she was trapped. She opened her eyes again. Only one Itachi stood before her now. Mayu warily took several steps back. Itachi merely stared at her, no longer walking forward. "This is the worst genjutsu _ever_!"

"It is not my intention to cause mental strain… Not this time," Itachi told her. "I only wished to speak with you in privacy."

"Why would you want to do that, traitor?" Mayu practically hissed.

"I see that you remember now... About what happened to your family." Anger appeared in Mayu's eyes. If Itachi saw her hand coming, he made no move to dodge it.

The Uchiha's face remained expressionless even as his right cheek began turning red. Slowly, he opened his eyes and turned his head towards the kunoichi again. Smacking Uchiha Itachi was a little risky, but considering the situation, Mayu didn't really care at the moment. "Y-You...! How dare you speak of my family in that casual tone!" she yelled. "After what you did...! How could you do that to us and not even care? I-I thought...! I thought you loved it there! Why did you do it? Why did you kill our-"

"Do you wish to end my life?" Itachi interrupted.

"What?" Her hysteric rant was cut short. For a moment, she only stared at the man, eyebrows furrowed. "Do I want to end your life?" Finally, she shook her head. "No…" The corners of her lips upturned. She scoffed. "That would be too easy, wouldn't it?" A slow sigh came from her mouth. "No," she repeated. "Itachi, I hope you live as long as possible and remember each moment you spent with my family. I want… you to suffer for being involved with the annihilation of my clan. Suffer for destroying your oasis. Live long, cling to your hopeless life, and remember what you did." Briefly, Itachi's eyes widened.

"Mayu," the Uchiha frowned.

"Despite what you have done, in the end, I'd probably forgive you." The corner of her eyes began stinging. She hated that feeling. "Because after all I've been through because of you, I know things. You can't fool me. You're in pain. You're constantly in pain. That pain won't disappear until you die. Suffer to your dying day, Itachi." His red eyes averted for a moment.

"You've become callous, Mayu-chan."

"Getting eight years worth of memories back in a mere few minutes could do that to a person, don't you agree?" The kunoichi's hands clenched at her sides. "Release me from this genjutsu. I have nothing more to say to you. I would rather not hear you speak either."

"But you're still so stubborn."

"I have no time for you, anymore. You are the precious person of my past. The precious person of my present is waiting," Mayu continued as though Itachi did not speak. "Gaara-kun needs me again."

"You've changed another?" Itachi narrowed his eyes. "Tell me, did you try to do the same with my foolish little brother." Mayu's left eye twitched.

"Apparently I did, but it didn't work. Uchiha Sasuke could not be changed, and that's your fault," she answered. "You've turned him into a traitor—just like you. Perhaps one day you two will fight and end up killing each other, ridding this world of Uchiha blood forever."

"I see… That is… disappointing to hear," Itachi said. The remark caused Mayu to blink, confused. What did that mean? "Very well. This was merely a waste."

Mayu's eyes suddenly widened as though she were struck by an invisible attack. However, she wasn't harmed—merely shocked back into reality. Well, there was a dull ache at the back of her head. Beside her, Ino lowered her hand. She had smacked the back of her head. "What the hell, Ino?" she yelled.

"You weren't moving! You were under his genjutsu! I _helped_ you, you know!" Ino yelled right back. The sudden comical fight had come to an end before things heated up due to Chiyo telling them to shut up and focus. Both younger kunoichi blinked, and then did as they were told. Kakashi was standing in front of them. Naruto remained by their side, along with Chiyo.

"Naruto, follow my lead!" Kakashi commanded.

"_Uh_—_excuse_ me?"

"Sorry, sorry, I met _both_ of you follow me lead," the jounin amended after hearing the offended tone in the dark-haired kunoichi's voice.

"Damn right you did!"

Kakashi raced towards the Uchiha. Itachi only formed several hand seals in preparation of countering the ninja from the Leaf. "Fire Style!" Itachi placed his fingers near his lips. "Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu!" Multiple balls of fire rushed at the oncoming jounin. Kakashi, though, managed to dodge them all. As expected of the silver-haired man. His last dodge left Kakashi in mid air. This left room for Itachi to attack again. "Fire Style!" His aim was for the rest of the group. "Fireball Jutsu!"

Ino immediately stood in front of the group. Her hands swiftly performed the proper seals. "Earth Style!" Her palms slammed against the ground. "Mud Wall!" A giant pillar of Earth rose from the ground, shielding herself and the rest of the squad from the massive fireball, coming their way. _"Earth is resistant to fire,"_ she thought, smirking. She felt the impact of the ball of fire against her Earth jutsu. To her surprise, the impact of the elements was powerful enough to make the entire ground quake. The fire jutsu was stopped, but it had destroyed her wall before fading._ "What a strong technique__…"_

"Good work, Ino!" Kakashi appeared by her side with his original jutsu in hand. Once again, the man ran towards the enemy. Itachi didn't seem too impressed with the electrical jutsu. "Raikiri!" The jounin shouted out the name of the attack as he thrust his arm forward. The Uchiha, staring blankly, merely dodged the direct hit by jumping up. His eyebrow twitched once before he looked up. Coming down with his Rasengan was Naruto, aiming to take Itachi down at that moment. However, the enemy was merely a clone. It had disappeared right before the impact with the ground. A crater was made, but Naruto quickly ran into the forest for cover, not stopping to admire his destruction.

"_Damn! I thought I could get him from behind when he got distracted by Kakashi!"_ he thought, landing on his knees near a tree. He narrowed his eyes. _"Fighting against the Sharingan __is hard, after all. I might not be able to get good information if it goes on like this."_

"Naruto."

The blond seriously had to swallow the girlish scream that would have come out had he not slapped a palm over his mouth. After he calmed down, he shifted his gaze to his right. On her hands and knees was Ishikari Mayu. She had effectively snuck up on him. The kunoichi really was good at stealth. "Don't _do_ that! Not to _me_!" Mayu glared at him.

"Sorry about that, but I had to let you know something," she said.

"What?" Naruto whispered back.

"I just _love_ being left out!" The sarcasm in her voice actually made the shinobi flinch. "It makes me feel all warm and bubbly on the inside." Yup, that was definitely sarcasm. Before Naruto could apologize for his mistake—really, it was Kakashi's, too—the sound of the ground crumbling reached their ears. The two returned their attention to the fight at the forest's edge.

"Kakashi-sensei! Nice job!" Naruto complimented. The jounin had shot up through the ground, fist aiming to upper-cut Itachi. He hadn't worked, leaving the two shinobi centimeters away from another, locking one another in place. "Mayu, it's almost time."

"_Ah_!" Mayu nodded her head in understanding.

"Go for it!" Kakashi gave the signal. The two teens leapt up and dashed towards the clearing. Naruto hurriedly created a clone while Mayu formed hand signs. They broke though the forest, powerful jutsu at the ready. Blue flames swirled around the ball of chakra, enhancing Tsukeru to a devastating point. The combo attack managed to actually hit the Uchiha, whom seemed quite surprised. The clone of Kakashi disappeared, leaving Itachi to take all the damage. Blood spilled from the enemy's mouth and splattered against their skin. This caused them to look towards his mouth.

"_He's…!"_ Naruto thought.

"_Smiling…?"_ Mayu's eyes expanded in shock.

Once they're techniques and destruction ended, the two teens merely stood there, waiting for the dust to settle. Ino, Chiyo, and Kakashi caught up to them. The group walked over to where the body had been thrown. Seeing the body, they could only stare in horror. "I thought something felt odd as I was fighting him," Kakashi remarked. He slipped his forehead protector over his Sharingan. "So this was the reason…?" On the ground was a completely different person. It was not the man they had been fighting.

"_Is that why he smiled?"_ Naruto thought.

"_So you're still out there, suffering, Itachi?"_ Mayu took a glance at the surrounding area. There was nothing. Her focus turned back to the dead body._ "Just what kinda technique was it? Something like this… it could've fooled anyone. I mean, Itachi knew me, but it wasn't him all along.__"_

"This man is…" Chiyo stuttered. This caused everyone to look her way. Kakashi asked if she had known him. Beads of cold sweat rolled down her face. Ino suddenly snapped her fingers.

"Ah! I know him, too!" she stated. "It's Yuura-san!" Naruto blinked, asking how Ino knew about the guy. "Well, you don't spend two months in the Sand without knowing. He's a jounin from the village," she answered. "I didn't particularly know him, though. Gaara… The Kazekage had him on his council. I've seen his face a couple of times."

"The girl is correct. He went missing right before Gaara was kidnapped," Chiyo confirmed. "But I don't want to believe that he was a spy. He served on the village's council for four years." She narrowed her eyes as she took out a writing utensil and paper. "This is obviously a way to buy them more time." She began writing. "If they're using such a powerful jutsu just to delay us… There's no doubt about it. They've already begun extracting the Bijuu."

"Bijuu…?" Mayu repeated in a questioning manner. "What's that?"

"There's no time. We need to save the Kazekage right away," Kakashi stated.

"No, no, no!" Ino exclaimed. "Extracting the Bijuu? What's that mean? Can they actually do that?"

"Most likely, they plan on making another Jinchuuriki from Shukaku, the Ichibi," Chiyo murmured. She seemed way too nonchalant about the situation. "Through sealing jutsu, the Bijuu's powers were suppressed, and the nations tried to control them that way. Those with Bijuu sealed within them, like Gaara, are called Jinchuuriki. These people gain unimaginable power. Including Gaara, there have been three people in the Sand's history who have been the hosts of Shukaku." The old kunoichi stopped writing, rolled up the scroll and took out another small scroll. She threw it to the ground, unrolling it. With one hand, she created a hand sign. A small puff of smoke appeared.

After the smoke cleared, a toy bird was there. Chiyo picked up the wooden bird and turned the key on its back. The mouth of the bird opened, leaving the elderly ninja to place the paper she had been writing on into its mouth. The bird hastily flew away. Most watched it go until it was out of sight. Ino, however, glared at the ground with her hands balled into fists. "The wars of the past were probably started by using Jinchuuriki, haven't they?" It sounded as though she was trying desperately to hold back her anger.

"This is correct."

"Then what about the people who become Jinchuuriki?" Ino demanded to know. "If they were so good for the nations, why did the burden land on Gaara? Why did it take three times? What happened to the other ones?"

"The other Jinchuuriki of the Sand village had the Shukaku extracted from them," Chiyo explained.

"_And_?" Honestly, Ino was losing her patience. Mayu remained quiet, but she, too, was getting irritated by Chiyo's slow way of talking.

"Jinchuuriki who have their Bijuu extracted…" the older kunoichi said. "… Die."

* * *

><p>Well, I've got nothing to say about this chapter. Definitely going to be changes in the next one, though. Stick around for it. Review, too.<p> 


	7. Pull The Trigger I

The first thing she felt was the wind, hitting her face. Gradually, Mayu opened her eyes. Beside her, the forest went by in a blur. She hastily lifted her head to see that her teammate was carrying her on his back. Feeling the shift in weight, Naruto turned his head to glance back at her. "Finally awake back there?" he asked. He then grinned. The kunoichi turned her head, taking in her surroundings. Kakashi, Chiyo, and Ino were moving along with them. Blinking, Mayu asked what had happened. "You fainted when Granny Chiyo mentioned that… Jinchuuriki die once their Bijuu are extracted," Naruto explained in a soft voice.

"Gaara-kun…! Even… Even you, Naruto?"

"Don't worry, don't worry! I won't get caught by Akatsuki!" the blond reassured. "Anyway, what's with you girls and fainting, anyway?"

"Huh…?"

"Ino fainted, too."

"No way!"

"Shut up! It was just surprising to hear, that's all!" The shout came from behind them.

Mayu ignored the shouting. She closed her eyes again, and then wrapped her arms around Naruto's neck. He stiffened at the sudden contact, but relaxed soon after. "Naruto…" She said his name and nothing more. The blond understood, though. She didn't want anything to happen to him either. She was worried. Naruto found himself smiling. She couldn't remember certain things, but she still cared a lot about him. He wished it was the same for Sasuke.

"_Ahh_, I see you're awake now, Mayu!" Kakashi's voice caused the kunoichi to glance in his direction. "You're quite the sensitive person…"

"Not really," she replied with a shrug. The jounin gave the dark-haired girl a flat look. Then he jumped to the ground, telling everyone to stop. His squad did as they were told, looking at him in confusion. Naruto asked if something was wrong. Kakashi merely shook his head, telling them that he thought it was a good idea to stop for the night. "WHAT?" Mayu and Ino shouted in unison.

"Now, now…" Kakashi tried to calm the two girls down. Luckily, Naruto was still carrying Mayu, so he didn't really have to worry about her attacking.

"It's a wise decision," Chiyo agreed with a nod of her head. Ino didn't agree at all.

"Why? You just said we didn't have time!" she exclaimed. Mayu jumped from Naruto's back and walked over to her sensei.

"If you're worried about me, I'm fine! If we take a break, Gaara-"

"Our pace has slowed considerably since our fight with the fake Itachi," Kakashi interrupted. "Naruto is out of breath, and I'm not too good myself. Resting up now will allow us to reach our goal more quickly. Tomorrow we have to fight the guys who kidnapped the _Kazekage_." Mayu crossed her arms in a pout, realizing that Kakashi was right. Things shouldn't be taken lightly. "We all need to be at a hundred percent."

"I agree with Kakashi-sensei," Naruto stated. "I know you're worried, but heading out in a weakened state could get one of us killed."

"_Ah_, right…" Ino muttered.

"Well, I guess… I'll get firewood," Mayu volunteered.

"I'll go with you," Naruto offered. He turned towards the others. "We'll be back in a few minutes!" With that being said, the two teens walked away from the group. After minutes of silently collecting twigs and sticks, Naruto turned his entire focus on Mayu. She was currently adding a stick to her bundle. The blond frowned as he continued to watch her. His teammate had yet to mention anything about what happened to her during the fight with Itachi. "Hey, Mayu…" he began, catching her attention. She didn't look up from counting the bundle in her arms, but she did make a noise, indicating that she was listening. "About what happened…"

"What about it?" she asked.

"_Uh_… That guy, Itachi… he said that you—well, you were screaming pretty loud," Naruto stated. "It must have been really big." Mayu sharply turned his way, eyes wide. For a brief moment, she merely stared at him. Then, unceremoniously, began laughing. The sticks were dropped in favor of holding her stomach. "What? What's so funny?"

"Tha-That's… That's-" She pointed a finger. "That's what she said! _Hahahahahaha_!"

"What? That isn't-" Then he realized what he had said. A snicker slipped from his lips. Then came the full blown out laughter. The two teens had to hold onto each other to keep from falling over. Eventually, their laughter subsided, leaving behind aching sides. "_Heh_… But seriously, Mayu… Itachi said that you had regained your memories."

"Yeah…" The kunoichi lowered her body to pick up the dropped firewood. "Sorry to disappoint you, though. The memories I got back was from a time I did not know you." Her fingers hesitated, touching a fallen twig. "Rather… it was the memories of my real family. The memories were from my early childhood not from my time as Hinata's alter ego."

"Oh…" He was rather disappointed about that, but he was still curious. "Say, why did you suddenly regain your memories, anyway?"

"Trigger word," Mayu answered.

"Trigger word…?"

"Yes, the transportation jutsu of my clan is considered forbidden due to the detrimental effects of it," Mayu began. "One, the person is sent away. Two, the memories of that person are erased. Only the knowledge of their name is left."

"Why would your clan create something like that?"

"How should I know? It's not like I was there," she shrugged. Naruto flatly stared. "Anyway, I guess it's a last resort. There is a way to regain the memories lost, and that's the trigger word. Whether its spoken out loud or written down, if the person without memories comes across the word, the memories—all of the memories lost—will come back at once."

"So the trigger word for you was… Nana?" Naruto asked.

"That's it."

"But what makes that word so special? Who is Nana?"

"Nana is my feline partner—a summoning. And to answer your first question: nothing."

"You're serious?"

"Well…" Mayu closed her eyes and rubbed her chin in thought. "The word has to be insignificantly significant."

"You totally just lost me," Naruto commented.

"_Hm_, I don't know if I can explain this properly, especially to you," Mayu muttered. She ignored his indignant protest. "I guess I should explain using Nana. See, Nana-chan is actually a black leopard I can summon. As she is my life partner, she's pretty much a big deal. However, at the same time, since she's a summon, she's not really a big deal. Get it?"

"No."

"Didn't think so," Mayu responded, sighing. "I didn't get it at first either. Anyway, since you and Hinata are close with me, it's only a matter of time before one of you says the word necessary for me to regain the other memories I've lost."

"Close to you…? Then that means Itachi was someone close to you before?" Naruto questioned.

"… Yeah, he was. I even thought of him as a brother," Mayu averted her eyes for a moment. "But that's over now." She put on a smile. "Anyway, should we head back now? I think we've gathered enough for two fires." Slowly, Naruto nodded in agreement. He followed the kunoichi back to camp. His eyelids lowered as he stared at her back. She had a lot more in common with Sasuke than anyone had realized. Naruto could not help wondering if she wanted revenge on Itachi like Sasuke did now that her memories of him returned.

"_But Mayu's n__ot really like Sasuke, right?"_ he thought. Honestly, Naruto had no idea what Mayu was thinking sometimes. And not just because she was a girl. It was as though she subconsciously closed herself off from others. More than likely, Mayu wouldn't bring up her relationship with Itachi again. She appeared indifferent about him. But did she stop considering him a brother because he had killed most of his clan—or was there something more? _"Whatever it is, that guy must have done something horrible for Mayu to be sc__reaming and crying like that__."_ After all, Mayu wasn't the type to cry and scream. That had been the first time he had seen it. Naruto internally sighed, turning his eyes away from his teammate. She and Ino were preparing the fire. _"Does it make me a coward__ to not want to see it again?"_

"Naruto…?" Ino's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"_Uh_, yeah? _Hm_?"

"The firewood—give it up," Ino ordered.

"Oh, right, sorry," Naruto replied, handing the bundle over.

The night went on, relatively quiet. Only the crackling of the fire and the chirping of crickets were heard. Naruto's snoring was surprisingly drowned out by the sounds of nature. Mayu took a glance at him from the corner of her eye. The blond had been unnaturally quiet since before the group had eaten. It didn't take a genius to figure out why. He wanted answers. Blue eyes shifted back to the fading fire. _"Answers I'm not willing to give at the moment,"_ Mayu thought.

She closed her eyes and frowned. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get that man out of her head. Uchiha Itachi. Wow. Things had been so much simpler before he had uttered that trigger word. Itachi—her first precious friend—did such an inexcusable thing. How could she ever forgive the man who killed her father? _"Shit…!"_ Her eyes squeezed shut. The memories were fresh in her mind, as if all of it happened only yesterday. The things that had happened—she didn't want to remember _that_. The kunoichi hurriedly rubbed at her forehead. His blood had spattered against her and her mother's skin. Right in front of them. Right in front of _her_. Heartless, completely heartless. It was no wonder her mother had sent her away, erasing these memories. She must have known that if her daughter survived with those memories, her daughter would cease to existence and in her place would stand… an avenger. Thinking only of the day when her father's murderer is brought to down before her, Ishikari Mayuka did not want that of her child.

"_But what am I supposed to do now?"_ Mayu thought, opening her eyes. Her eyelids lowered as she stared into the fire. _"Ignore him and what he did?__ Not likely…__"_

"Come here…"

Mayu's eyes expanded. That voice… The kunoichi lifted her head and surveyed the area. Everyone was sleeping by now. Even the copy ninja, Kakashi, was fast asleep in the tree he was in; one leg left to dangle over the branch. The voice came again, repeating the command. Mayu stood up slowly. Taking one glance back, she slipped away from the group. Once she was out of hearing range of her squad, the kunoichi halted. "Is it you again?"

"So you've reached that conclusion already?" The voice seemed to come from all around her.

"Well, _duh_… Kakashi wouldn't fall asleep when it's his turn to be on the lookout," Mayu replied. "Stop hiding and show me your face."

"I am only your subconscious, trying to make you remember the person most important to you," the voice said. "In your dream, you cannot see me."

"Well, isn't that monkey nuts?" Mayu muttered. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. Arms wrapped around her and her eyes closed. She was getting really irritated that she couldn't see who was being so intimate with her. "Most important…?" she repeated. "At least tell me my relationship with you."

"That is… something for you to decide," he answered. Mayu sighed heavily. She almost despised vagueness. "But maybe I can help now." The unknown teenager forced her body to turn. She almost didn't like that action. Mayu tensed as his fingers trailed up her spine. Without warning, she was pulled forward. Both of them fell. Mayu hadn't even heard the impact he had made with the ground. For a few seconds, she only lied down on him, not understanding the situation. Finally, she lifted her torso, causing her legs to straddle him. Before she could ask what his problem was, he, too, lifted his torso. He snickered. "Don't be so dramatic about it this time," he told her, placing his palm on her cheek.

"_Huh_? Dramati-"

Mayu's muffled squeak of surprise was ignored by the teen. His lips pressed harder against hers. The level of intimacy he had shown before—honestly, she had thought nothing of it. But now… This was something beyond friendship. This guy… could he literally be the man of her dreams? He pulled back, yet stayed close. His hand slipped from her cheek and rested on the left side of her chest. "Your heart is racing, Mayu." She hadn't even noticed. There it was. The drumming of her heartbeat sounded so close to her ears now. He grabbed her wrist and made her hand touch his chest. It was the same. "Just like mine."

"Co-Could you be-?"

"Could I be?" was his coy response. Then he kissed her again. Like the last one, it was sweet, innocent, playful, yet longer. Mayu found herself becoming lost. Her body reacted without her mind telling it to. Returning the kiss seemed like the appropriate response. No. This wasn't right. She pulled away, yet the stranger only followed. "You're going to act like this now, _huh_?" Again, he kissed her. This time, Mayu scurried away from him, crawling backwards to do so.

"Yo-You…! This isn't right!" she exclaimed. "I wasn't sure at first, but you're definitely from the time where I shared a body with Hinata. So, at that age, I wouldn't… like someone in _that_ way! Thirteen is much too young for me to start crushing on someone!" He actually laughed at her. The jerk. "What the hell's so funny?"

"Our ages don't mean anything," he said. "Besides, you like me _enough_."

"What? What's that mean?"

"That is… something for you to decide."

"You're an asshole, aren't you?"

He only laughed again.

0-0

Five ninja dropped down on the water's surface. Ahead of them stood another team composed of jounin and chuunin. Maito Gai, Hyuga Neji, Rock Lee, and Tenten. Also, accompanying them was Kakashi's dog, Pakkun. Apparently, the small dog had been the squad's guide here. They had arrived moments before. Just ahead of Team Gai, there was a giant boulder blocking the way to where the rescue squads would find their objective. "You're late, Kakashi," the squad's leader commented. Gai still had the same look as he always did. The mini clone beside him, otherwise known as Lee, hadn't changed much either except for the chuunin vest, of course. The other two teammates wore different clothing than the last time Mayu had seen them. Well, that was to be expected since they had gotten older.

"Well, we ran into some trouble on the way here," Kakashi stated. Ever the enthusiast, Lee greeted those that he knew with a loud exclamation. When his eyes turned to Mayu, however, he became dazed. Tenten was also scrutinizing her as well. Neji, though, seemed calm about the unknown addition. He stepped closer to her, causing Mayu to raise a brow.

"You've returned, Ishikari Mayu-san," he stated.

"Neji, you knew?" Naruto asked.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" The Hyuga turned his pale eyes to the blond ninja. "I wouldn't forget the person from that mission." His focus returned to Mayu. "Are you in possession of another's body?"

"… Nope," she answered with a shrug. "This is me. Pleasure to work with you again." The Hyuga smirked and closed his eyes before turning his back on her.

"Let's hope you've decided not to dance in triumph if you manage to land a hit this time," he remarked. Mayu flushed lightly. She didn't know what he was talking about, but it sounded like something she would have done in the past. Hell, it sounds like something she would do _now_.

"H-Hey! I've turned into a respectable ninja now! Don't underestimate me!"

"It seems you guys were here before us," Ino stated, stepping forward. Tenten then asked who the older person was. "This is the Sand's senior advisor, Chiyo-sama." The elderly kunoichi struck a pose and greeted Team Gai. "Now that intros are outta the way, let's get down to business. The Kazekage needs us right now." The others nodded in agreement.

"Now then, shall we do this, Kakashi?" Gai asked. Again, the silver-haired jounin nodded his head. "Neji!" Immediately, the Hyuga of the group activated his bloodline. For a few moments, Neji merely observed whatever was behind the boulder. He told the group that the inside was rather wide and spacious. There were people inside as well. However, he couldn't get a very good image of what was going on. He could not tell if Gaara was one of the people inside. Then he made a startling exclamation. Still, he could not really describe what he saw.

"Which means we have to see it for ourselves, doesn't it?" Lee asked. His mentor placed a hand on his shoulder.

"In which case, I'll keep it short," Gai said, smirking. The flamboyant man performed a few back flips on the water's surface. He then rushed forward, drawing back his arm. As he became closer to the huge boulder, he launched his fist forward. "Take that!" His shout was accompanied by the punch making contact with the huge obstacle. After such a performance, only a few stray rocks fell. Surprisingly not groaning in pain, Gai walked back over to the team. "It appears as though it's a barrier. We have to remove that first."

"But what type of barrier is it?" Tenten asked. Most eyes gazed up at the paper stuck to the boulder. The symbol was the sign for forbidden.

"Looks like a Five-seal barrier," Kakashi murmured. Chiyo nodded her head in agreement. Naruto asked what type of barrier that was. The silver-haired jounin began the explanation. He even told the team how to dismantle such a barrier. After finished his explanation, Kakashi turned to Neji. The Hyuga understood before the order was given. Once again, he activated the Byakugan. It was only a moment later that he found the locations.

"One's on top of a boulder, about 500 meters northeast of here," Neji stated. "The second one is on a tree trunk in a gorge, 350 meters south-southeast. The third one is on a cliff side, 600 meters to the northwest. And the last one is in a forest almost 800 meters southwest of here."

"So… they're pretty far away then," Ino commented. "What's the signal going to be?"

"That won't be a problem," Gai stated, removing his backpack. He pulled devices out. "These wireless radios can cover those distances." He handed the devices to his team, and they quickly put them on. "We will remove the four seals surrounding the area. If this is a race against the clock, then my team's the quickest." He was clearly proud of the speed of his team overall. The man even showed off his nice guy pose. Naruto returned the pose, only without the blinding smile. Mayu let a snicker slip.

"We're counting on you, Gai-sensei!" Mayu announced. The man grinned. He then began giving orders to his squad members. Kakashi was given a device as well. He asked for the frequency. After being told, the silver-haired jounin fixed his radio.

"Everyone, can you hear me?" Lee shouted. It was louder to the people, wearing the radios. Tenten and Neji clutched their ears while Gai and Kakashi appeared as though they were going to fall over.

"Lee! You have your mic turned on too high!" Tenten hissed. The cute chuunin gasped, and then looked apologetic. He expressed his apology out loud, but again in a loud voice. Mayu would have laugh if the situation wasn't so grave. On second thought, this was Mayu in question. Naruto had to whack her shoulder to get her to stop giggling.

"Okay! Team Gai…" The spandex-wearing man held his hand out, and then began grunting. Lee looked confused for a moment before understanding his mentor's bizarre behavior. Tenten looked disgusted, bu-t she gave in due to the man's grunts increasing. She, too, placed her hand on the pile. The last member of the team looked absolutely annoyed by the gesture. Neji's aura screamed that he did not want to participate in this strange behavior. The two, Gai and Neji, stared each other down as if they were about to do battle. This wasn't as funny as the last scene. Mayu's eyebrow twitched.

"… _Oi_… Neji… Get _on_ with it!" she muttered. "You're _wasting_ time!"

"Fine," the Hyuga almost growled. He put his hand on Tenten's. Gai laughed in triumph.

"Fight with the full power of youth!" he exclaimed. He continued being pumped up while Neji glared at Mayu, mouthing the words 'you own me' to her. The kunoichi rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Team Gai then leapt away to find the separated seals.

"That's great! It's great that they're so pumped up!" Naruto exclaimed. "Hey, how about we do it, too?"

"I'd rather we buried alive!" Ino declared.

"Yeah," Kakashi said.

"Fool," Chiyo called him.

"Sorry, Naruto, two people wouldn't be enough," Mayu told him.

"You guys sucks," Naruto muttered, looking very disappointed.

"Well, it's about time for me to go," Pakkun finally spoke up. "There's no point in be being here if I'm just going to get in the way." Kakashi praised his loyal partner for a job well done and waved him off. The dog nodded, and then disappeared in a small cloud of smoke.

"Ino-san, since you've trained with Hokage-sama, you should know her strength, right?" Kakashi questioned the blond kunoichi. She nodded in confirmation. "Good. When I tear off the barrier, you will punch through, got it?" Again, the kunoichi nodded. "Okay. The rest of us will go in and retrieve the Kazekage."

"Right!" Mayu clenched her fist. It was almost time. She could feel her heart racing. The jounin ran up the boulder and positioned himself above the seal. Ino walked backwards until she was a reasonable distance from the boulder. She sat into an offensive stance, ready to strike at a moment's notice. As Kakashi stated previously, the wait had taken only a few minutes. He ripped the seal from the boulder, shouting for Ino to make her move.

"GOT IT!" The blond kunoichi raced towards the huge boulder, springing her fist forward. The exact moment her fist made contact, Kakashi jumped away. Ino moved to the right where Mayu was to avoid the falling destruction she had created. The group waited until the silver-haired jounin gave the signal. Inside, the cave was dark. It took some time for their eyes to adjust. When they did adjust, the reaction was immediate. Most gasped in surprise at what they were seeing. Not only did Gaara, the Kazekage lay motionless on the ground, but his body was currently being disrespected by the enemy. Two members of Akatsuki were _sitting_ on him. Mayu's heart pumped blood into her veins at a rapid pace. She clenched her fists, barely being able to contain her bubbling anger.

"So…" the blond one began in a tone of nonchalance. "I wonder which one is the Jinchuuriki." That was it. That tone of his as he sat on her precious person—it was too much.

"ASSHOLES! _WHERE_ THE _FUCK_ DO YOU THINK YOU'RE _SITTING_?" Mayu shouted.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Ino, too, could not control her anger anymore. Both kunoichi were clearly livid.

"_Eh_?" the blonde continued. "I thought the Jinchuuriki was a boy. I guess Itachi didn't know him quite well… _un_."

"You-!" The dark-haired kunoichi stepped forward.

"Mayu, control yourself!" Kakashi ordered. She scowled, yet remained in position. "You should already know…"

"That's right. You get it, don't you?" The blond continued. "He's been dead for awhile now." He had the nerve to slap Gaara's cheek. Both Ino and Mayu went utterly ballistic. If not for Kakashi and Naruto holding them back, they would have attacked. Again, Kakashi ordered for them to calm down.

"Gaara-kun! Get the hell off him!" Mayu hissed. Her eyes locked in on the blond enemy. "I'll _destroy_ you." He merely smirked.

"If you charge in without thinking, we're all dead!" Kakashi stated. Finally, the two girls calmed down enough to make their comrades release them. Their bodies still trembled from barely constrained rage, though. The large enemy turned towards his comrade.

"What's wrong, Master Sasori?" the blond questioned.

"Despite the lack of information from Itachi, we know that the Jinchuuriki is a young blond shinobi," Sasori stated. "I'll take him, Deidara."

"I'd like to see you try!" Naruto yelled, pointing a finger. "Bring it on!"

"Master… You might get pissed at me for saying this, but… I'm going to fight the Jinchuuriki."

"Each of us gets our own," Sasori stated. "Don't get cocky."

"_He's the one…?"_ Mayu thought, nearly snarling. Unbeknownst to her, Ino was thinking along the same thoughts.

"With art, you must constantly seek greater and greater stimulation," Deidara said. "Or your ability to appreciate it will become dull. I've heard rumors that the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki is pretty powerful. He'll be perfect for my art… _un_."

"_Naruto, too?"_ Ino thought.

"What? You call those explosions art? Art is something that endures the test of time, beautifully and gracefully. True art is eternal beauty." The two enemies began to banter back and forth about the meaning of art. Finally, the blond stood up, exclaiming his proclamation and opinion on art. Apparently, it was a bang. He threw a miniature clay bird on the ground. He grew bigger, and then transformed into a bigger version. The clay bird picked up Gaara in its mouth. Clearly, Sasori didn't like what his comrade was saying because he tried to strike the blond with his tail. However, Deidara dodged by jumping on his giant creation.

"Later, Master!" he waved. The giant bird swallowed Gaara until there was nothing showing except his leg. He was _taunting_ them. He flew from the cave, giving the group a smug look. Mayu could no longer take it.

"COME BACK HERE, YOU MALE INO!" she shouted, running after the clay bird.

"FUCK YOU! I DON'T LOOK LIKE THAT FREAK!" Ino, right beside her, yelled. Her blazing blue eyes were focused on the enemy however. The two kunoichi jumped up, landing on top of the large red shrine gate. Deidara, above them, made circles in the sky. "I'll fucking murder him for taking him!"

"He has one arm," Mayu stated, glaring up at the blond ninja.

"Doesn't mean I'm going to show pity."

"I think I'm going to like you, Ino," Mayu smirked. "Let's show him how big of mistake he made when he took Gaara-kun."

"I'm right there with you, Mayu."

"Should you really be fighting me… _un_?" Deidara questioned. "Just for the record, Master Sasori is stronger than me. Probably, un. You should probably go help your band of comrades before they die. Instead, send out the Jinchuuriki."

"Over my dead body!" Mayu replied

"That can be arranged, _un_."

"I'm getting really sick of this guy's speech impediment—worse than Hinata's used to be!" Ino growled.

"What?" Although Deidara didn't know who the female Hyuga was, he didn't appreciate having his way of talking being insulted.

"Seriously, what's with all the grunting for, _un_?" Mayu mocked.

"Yeah, he sounds like an idiot… _un_!" Ino joined in.

"The constant grunting is ridiculous, _un_."

"Hey, quit it… _un_!" Deidara pointed an angry finger. "No one can do it but me! Who do you think you are—that damn girl, Yasmine?"

"_UN_!" Both kunoichi grunted loudly in unison. Deidara nearly stomped his foot down in frustration.

"That's it! You brats are gonna become a part of my art!" he shouted.

"Jeez… Someone can't take a joke…" Mayu muttered, rolling her eyes.

"It's time to get serious!" Ino stated. Her fellow kunoichi nodded her head in agreement. "This guy… He's going to pay!"

* * *

><p>Well, I'm updating just before work, so pardon the mistakes. I didn't check. Honestly, I don't check anymore until after I've posted anyway, so... Whatever. Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts on this chapter. Don't let me down, dear reviewers.<p> 


	8. Awaken

The two kunoichi stared up at their enemy through narrowed eyes. The blond enemy was still taunting them, flying around in circles with Gaara's leg visible. Still, he was giving Mayu enough time to gauge how he fought. Judging from the distance he set, Deidara was a long-ranged fighter. That wasn't too much of a problem for her, but her comrade was definitely a short-ranged fighter. Mayu glanced out of the corner of her eye at Ino. The blond kunoichi fierce stare hadn't wavered from the enemy. It was good to know that she wasn't working with a hot head that would foolishly head into battle. Then again, both of them had wanted so badly to hurt Deidara when he had smacked Gaara. Fortunately, they were both relatively calm now.

"Ino, I have something in mind," Mayu stated. "I'm going to make the switch."

"Switch?" Finally, the girl's sky blue eyes turned to the dark-haired kunoichi.

"Make sure my body doesn't do anything weird, okay?" she continued, ignoring the look of confusion on Ino's face. Mayu began forming hand seals. The last seal was the ram sign. Her fingers extended in Deidara's direction. "Ishikari Style! Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Hearing that, Ino gasped. She stared at her comrade in disbelief. Her father had told her stories of a jutsu slightly different from their clan's signature jutsu. Could this Ishikari style be the one? Mayu's body suddenly went limp. It was the same thing that happened to Ino when she had carried out her clan's jutsu. Seconds later, her comrade's body tensed again. She blinked three times before looking around. "What the hell…?" Mayu muttered. "How the hell did I get down here? And what the heck are these?" To Ino's surprise, the kunoichi actually groped herself.

"DON'T TOUCH ME THERE!" A shout came from above. That's when Ino knew. She narrowed her eyes, and then moved to place her comrade's body in a headlock.

"I-I can-can't breathe!"

"I'm going to snap your neck," Ino nearly hissed in her comrade's ear. Immediately, the body froze, terrified by the image of the threat. Meanwhile, above them, Mayu, in the body of the enemy, shifted her focus on the task at hand. She inspected almost every part of Deidara's body, even running a hand through his long bang. An eyebrow raised as blue eyes stared down at the enemy's hand. A pink tongue had slither out of the palm.

"_Wonder what he does at night when no one's looking,"_ Mayu couldn't help but grin at the thought. The shinobi's head shook. This was no time to be thinking like that. She had to maintain focus. As long as Ino had her body restrained, she could have more than enough time to get what she wanted. A shout of fury came from the cave, causing all eyes to glance at the entrance. That shout sounded like Naruto. So their fight had begun, huh? She needed to hurry. Hands slapped together. "Liberation!" It had been such a long time since she felt it. The familiar rush of her family's jutsu. When she opened her eyes, she was once again staring up at the enemy. "Okay, you can let me go, Ino."

"How do you… know a jutsu like that?" the blond kunoichi questioned.

"We'll have time for that later. Right now both of us need to only focus on retrieving Gaara-kun."

"Right. Okay, but what did you do?"

"You'll find out when the time comes," Mayu replied. "Ino… I'm going."

"What? Why you the only one making moves? I want this guy-"

"Like I said before, he is a long-ranged fighter. You are a mid to short ranged fighter. You might be able to dodge his attacks, but you won't make any headway with your attacks." The blond bit her lip, realizing that her comrade was correct. "In order for us to fight this person and have Gaara-kun is to separate him from his form of transportation. I'll be the one to do it."

"You're a long-ranged fighter?" Ino questioned.

"Not… primarily, but I can get the job done. Count on it," Mayu frowned, returning her eyes towards the enemy. He appeared not to be paying attention to the two kunoichi. The kunoichi narrowed her eyes. She would make him pay for that. More than anything, she hated being underestimated. Her body shifted, crouching down, letting her palms touch the top of the shrine gate. She leapt from the massive structure. As always her speed increased this way. As she scurried across the water's surface, a memory flashed through her mind. It was of her moving this way towards Kakashi when she had inhabited the body of Sakura. _"I see…"_ she thought, using her chakra to hurriedly climb the rock wall. Even in her ignorant state, she had turned to using what she had been taught as a child. If she continued to do things she had done in the past, would she remember her life as Haruno Sakura quicker? Mentally shaking her head, the teen focused her eyes on the enemy.

Like a bullet, she shot up from the edge of the cliff towards Deidara's flying vessel. He remained ignorant of her attachment to the bottom of the large clay bird. Smirking, Mayu plunged her hand deep inside the clay material. It was surprisingly easy to get through. It wasn't hard clay like she had thought. Her appearance began shifting. Her dark hair turned blond and her deep blue eyes turned to a lighter shade. Her skin changed as well—from brown to tan. Mayu's lip twitched, feeling the extra tongues against her skin. After a few moments, she pulled her hand out equipped with a squishy popping noise. Fortunately, the wind covered the noise. The kunoichi shifted her gaze, making the change back to her normal appearance. Mayu began moving. She lifted herself on the top of bird. Ever quiet, she snuck up behind the blond enemy.

"I gonna watch you burn," she whispered in his ear. Expectedly, the enemy flinched, and then whirled around. His arm lifted to hit, yet Mayu only dodged.

"You! How'd you get up here?" Deidara exclaimed.

"Does that really matter?" the kunoichi asked. "For Akatsuki, you're pretty inattentive. Or perhaps it is stupidity?"

"You think your words are going to affect me?" he snarled. Obviously, they already were. "Who are you—switching our bodies like that? It was a waste of time, _un_." Instead of answering him, Mayu lost her smirk.

"Before you die, I want to know something," she stated. The blond enemy actually raised a curious brow. "Tell me… How do you get your hair so soft? I've never felt anyone's hair as soft." A smug-like expression appeared on Deidara's face.

"L'Oréal… because I'm worth it, _un_!" He pointed a finger. "You're nothing compared to me in every single way. You're my inferior… _un_." Mayu began angry with his arrogant attitude. She then dropped down, swinging her leg. She had tripped him, making him fall. "Hey!" He could brace himself because his equilibrium was off. The effects of losing his arm to the Sand's leader were beginning to show. The blond struck his legs out, attempting to knock the kunoichi down as well, but she performed a back flip. Her body fell from his large mass of art.

Mayu landed on top of the water's surface on her hands and knees. Good. Her plan wouldn't be realized until it was too late. Ino dropped down beside her. "What the hell was that? What happened?" she questioned. "How was that separating him from his stupid bird thing?"

"You'll get your shot, Ino, so calm down," Mayu told her. "We're going after him."

"After him?"

"I'm going to lead him away from this spot. There might be a chance he or his comrade could try to back one another up, so it'd be best to get away from here." As she spoke, she kept her head tilted downward. There was a possibility that the enemy could read lips, after all. "Get ready, Ino!" The dark-haired kunoichi pierced her thumb with her left incisor, and then performed the hand seals for the Summoning Jutsu. Ino watched her comrade slam her palm against the water's surface. "Summoning Jutsu!"

"_She can use that jutsu?"_ she thought. Ino jumped away as Mayu was covered by a thick massive cloud. When the smoke disappeared, her comrade sat, straddling a large dark four-legged animal. _"A black cat?" _Ino's eyes narrowed. _"No, a black leopard… She has an animal affinity for wild cats."_ The large feline had a bow hanging from its neck, bandages wrapped around its hind legs, a quiver of arrows strapped to its mid section by a purple belt, and a purple ribbon tied to its tail. The giant cat roared and did a pose as if it were making a grand entrance. Ino could help but stare flatly.

"Nana-chan, you're certainly remained the same," Mayu remarked. The black leopard craned its neck. It's eyes seemed to light up at the sight of the kunoichi. "No, Nana! We'll have time for greeting once the problem is dealt with." With a clicking sound, Mayu removed the belt and put it on herself like a sash around her shoulder, chest and side. The quiver of arrows was on her back. She then removed the bow from around the black leopard's neck.

"_So that's what she meant about being a long-ranged fighter,"_ Ino thought. Mayu slowly pulled an arrow from her quiver and readied it with her bow. Her aim was clearly on the enemy. _"Is she really thinking she could hit a target so far away?"_ Deidara had flown higher after his small clash with the dark-haired kunoichi.

"Do you really think you can hit me?" The enemy seemed to have the same thoughts. He called down to them as though they were most idiotic. "You can't touch me, _un_!" Mayu merely narrowed her eyes. She pulled the string back further. "It's really weird, you know… I've heard that Jinchuuriki are gloomy and hate people… _un_. My comrades have defeated two others, not counting him. It seems neither their friends nor their village tried to save them… _un_. In fact, it seemed like there were people who were happy to have them gone," Deidara continued, ignoring the glares from the two kunoichi. "A kindred spirit who was hated and despised… You couldn't just ignore him… un. Yet here you two are, trying so hard to retrieve this _corpse_. It's so weird, _un_." Ino's hands clenched at her side. The enemy's words made her want to violently end his life.

"There's nothing weird… about taking back a precious person," Mayu murmured. Ino furrowed her eyebrows, glancing at her comrade. "Get ready!" Abruptly, the dark-haired kunoichi released the arrow. The blond kunoichi gasped, coming to realize that she couldn't track the movement of the arrow at all. It was too fast! Less than a second after she let go of her arrow, a shout of pain came from the enemy. Ino sharply turned her head to Deidara. Enhancing her vision with chakra, she saw that the enemy was bleeding quite a bit from his right cheek. Her eyes turned back to her comrade. "We're going!" Mayu reached out for Ino and grabbed her wrist. She was pulled onto the black leopard behind Mayu. "The plan worked, he's moving! Nana!" Mayu stated. The black leopard, called Nana, quickly moved towards the rock wall. Ino had to hold on to Mayu to keep from falling off. As Mayu said, the enemy appeared to be fleeing. The three reached the top of the wall and ran after Deidara.

"Mayu! Something must be wrong!" Ino told her comrade. She stayed silent, waiting for the explanation. "By now, shouldn't Gai-sensei's team be back? Something must be holding them up."

"Yeah… Too bad neither of us have the extra communication's device like Kakashi-sensei," Mayu muttered. "We shouldn't expect back up from the others either since they're dealing with that Sandy red guy. We're on our own."

"That's fine with me! I'm not about to show mercy to this guy," Ino retorted.

"Good. Nana, go faster!" Mayu ordered. With a roar of affirmation, the black leopard did, indeed, increase its speed. Ino's grip became tighter. "We're not giving him a chance to get further away!" Making sure she was balanced enough, even on a moving animal, Mayu reached into her back pouch, pulling out a note. The explosive note was placed in between her clenched teeth. She then pulled another arrow from her quiver. Ino could only stare.

"_To use both hands independently of riding this animal…"_ she thought. _"__They must be in perfect sync… Their bond must be similar to Kiba and Akamaru."_ Mayu wrapped the explosive note around the middle of her arrow before aiming it at the enemy. "_Eh_? But what about Gaara?" Ino questioned out loud. "That could-"

"The wing is what I'm aiming for," Mayu interrupted. "It's far enough away from the mouth, so it won't do any damage. After this, you're up, Ino." She pulled the string back a bit. "Nana, shift left." As ordered, the black leopard jumped to the side off the cliff. Fortunately, there were giant logs there to keep going. The leaps from log to log gave Mayu the chance to have a steady aim for a very short period of time. Still, it was enough. The dark-haired kunoichi shot her arrow. Seconds later, the explosion from above sounded. The enemy's form of transportation began to descend with a trail of black smoke. No longer flying straight, it was quite easy for Nana to reach the large clay creation. "Ino!"

"Got it! My turn!" The blond kunoichi removed her arms from Mayu, and then jumped up towards the falling enemy. Smirking, she lifted her arm. Ino rose above the enemy, and then brought her hand down. With a slicing motion, she separated the head from the clay creature's body. With another body part gone, the clay creation had completely lost balance and veered to the left, crashing onto the nearby ground. Deidara and his 'art' slid back, only coming to a stop when the mass of clay hit a sturdy tree. Meanwhile, the two kunoichi had worked together to catch the falling head. Nana jumped from the log and onto the cliff.

Swallowing hard, the two slid off the back of the black leopard and set the large head on the ground. For a moment, they only stared. Then, slowly, they pulled away at the clay. Their movement became faster and move frantic as time passed. Finally, they reached the hollow part. Finally, they had reached Gaara. The red head inside didn't move or speak. His eyes remained shut. Frowning, the kunoichi both reached inside, touching his cracked face. He was cold. Tears welled up in her eyes as she pulled away. Mayu walked backwards from the body of her precious friend. She knew it would be this way, but…

"Ino…" Several tears escaped. "We're going…" The blond stood up. She turned with an impassive expression.

"Lead the way," she said.

"Oh, I'll do more than that," Mayu replied, wiping her face. From the top down, her colors changed. Dark hair shifted to blond. The kunoichi's hand came up, making a hand sign. "I'll show you… _un_." Ino frowned. "Katsu…!"

_BOOM_

0-0

Deidara crouched behind the protection of his giant torn creation, grumbling to himself. He couldn't believe he had been made of a fool of. Those two certainly talked a lot, but in the end all they wanted was the Kazekage. _"What fools,"_ he thought. Narrowing his eyes, he looked around again. Still, there was no sign of the enemy. They really did care for only a dead body. More than likely, they were both crying over it, pleading for him to wake up. Deidara almost laughed. It would have been pathetic of them to do that. _"__I should probably lay low for the time being. There are others around, after all. Master Sasori can deal with those three by himself, but there are four more, aren't there?" _

_**BOOM**_**!**

Without warning, his sanctuary became his person hell. It exploded, sending the Akatsuki member flying. His back slammed against a tree. Blood shot out of his mouth. He had been trained to endure pain of any sort, but he had been way too close to the explosion. Burns were the least of his concern, though. His last arm had been blown from his body. Deidara grit his teeth, squeezing his eye shut. How the hell did it happen? He certainly hadn't triggered the explosion.

"_Ah_, so this is where you were?" Damn. He could barely hear at the moment. Deidara forced his eyes to open. Standing in front of him were the two kunoichi. However, both of them were blond now. The hell…? Did the explosion mess up his sight, too? "You'd think you'd have protection against explosive." One of them stepped forward. "I guess it's not so great to have your so called art used against you, _ne_?"

"B-B-Bitch!" he croaked out. He could barely move his upper body. They had him cornered, but he could still run if need be. After all, his jutsu was useless right now.

"Surprised?" she continued. "I have this sort of ability." The blond who had spoken had immediately changed. Her skin had returned to its normal brown color while her hair returned to its original color as well. "Got anymore clay attached to you? I'd just love to blow it up."

"_She did it…?"_ Deidara thought.

"No," Ino protested, crossing her arms. "A swift death like that will not satisfy me at all. I want him to suffer… Gaara suffered for days before he died, didn't he?" She narrowed her eyes down at the enemy. "I'll make you _beg_."

"_Tch_… Good luck with that," Deidara retorted. Barely able to comprehend it, his torso was struck by two fists. It was the blonde's fist that was stronger, which broke the tree and several others behind it. More blood spilled. _"Definitely broken bones… If I move__ too much, one of my lungs might be punctured."_

"You didn't die from that, did you?" Ino questioned, dropping down beside him. "Because I'm not with you yet." Without using the strength that her master had taught her, the blond kunoichi began punching Deidara over and over again. His face was his target. She hit him until her knuckles were raw, and then she continued to hit him. The rage she felt for this man—she couldn't begin to think if she had felt it before. Even his shouts of pain couldn't begin to quell what she felt.

"Ino… Ino…! INO!" Mid punch, the blond kunoichi halted. Tears had blurred her vision, but she still realized. "A clone… It's a clone," Mayu stated. "He got away."

"That's not good enough!" Ino shouted.

"Don't you think I know that?" Mayu shouted right back. She squeezed her eyes shut. "I'm so angry that I feel paralyzed!" Her hands clenched at her sides. Ino swallowed hard and closed her eyes. Of course. Her feelings for Gaara… The blond clenched her teeth and stood up.

"I'm going to-" It was at that moment that Ino turned towards Mayu. What she saw was gray smoke rising from her body. "Mayu, your body!" The dark-haired kunoichi opened her eyes and examined her arm. She gasped and looked up.

"Y-You too!" She pointed. Ino looked down at herself. Sure enough, her body was emitted the same gray smoke. "The _hell_ is going on? Is this some type of jutsu? Did we get caught by that guy?"

"N-No, I don't think-"

The smoke suddenly stopped rising and converged in between the two girls. A blinding light caused the two to avert their gaze elsewhere. When it faded, Ino and Mayu gradually returned their gaze back to the spot in between them. Two their surprise, there were two figures there—a male and female. The woman's eyes were shut while the man's stare appeared aimless. He stood beside Ino, while the woman was closer to Mayu.

"What in the-?" the blond began.

"You…?" Mayu murmured. The woman's eyes opened, revealing pale green eyes. Skin as pale as ivory and smooth to boot, she very much looked akin to a goddess. Her platinum blond hair was done in a very elaborate manner, yet it appeared stylish on her. She wore a traditional kimono—white in solid color while the floral print was blue, gold, and green. The sash she wore, which looked more like a corset, was black as well as the hem of her kimono. The kimono was loose, revealing her bare shoulders and a bit of her cleavage. The man also wore a kimono, yet the length was much shorter. It was blue and sleeveless, showing off his muscled arms. His legs were covered by dark pants. The lower part of his legs was wrapped with bandages. On his feet were geta. Though his hair was long and dark brown, he had the traits Mayu recognized instantly. Brown skin and blue eyes—they were traits of the Ishikari clan. "Who are you?" Finally, the two strangers focused their sight on either girl.

"I am your ancestor," they spoke in unison. The woman's eyes were on Ino while the man's gaze lay upon Mayu.

"Ancestor…?" Ino repeated. "But you… You definitely came out of her."

"Yeah, and you came out of Ino," Mayu agreed. "Why?"

"Perhaps…" the woman began. "It will be explained at a different time."

"Right now, you need to focus on your enemy…" The male spoke up. "For the pain he made both of you feel is what caused us to appear. I am Mitsuo." Mayu's eyes grew wide.

"I am Inoue," the woman stated. "Because of the pain and anguish you two feel right now at the same time, we are finally able to pass on. You two will become the new guardians."

"_Eh_…?" Ino exclaimed. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind that," Inoue waved a dismissive hand. She walked towards her descendant. "Mitsuo."

"Yes," the man nodded his head and stood in front of his own descendant. Both ancestors extended their palms in their descendants' direction. Warily, the kunoichi took a step back. "Do not be afraid. Accept this with pride."

"Now…" Inoue began.

"AWAKEN!" the two yelled in sync.

"_Huh…?"_ The observer nearly gasped in surprise. Without warning, the two kunoichi who were being watched had collapsed. They both appeared to be unconscious. Raising a brow, the observer jumped from the tree. With a grunt, the person landed not far from the two girls. _"__It's weird… They were definitely talking with someone, but I couldn't see or hear anyone else…"_ The observer walked closer. The two didn't move. A kunai was pulled out. _"__Should I kill her?"_ Brown eyes focused on the dark-skinned girl. Yamanaka Ino was easily recognized, but this other girl was not known. Why was she here, on this particular mission? "_Hm_… I should head back." The kunai was put back in place. _"__Deidara-nii was beaten badly, so he needs healing. I wonder if Tobi-sama and Zetsu-sama have seen him yet."_ With that thought, the figure jumped up, disappearing amongst the trees.

It was only a minute later that the two kunoichi groggily awoke from their sudden unconsciousness. First Ino sat up, and then Mayu. "Wha-What was that?" the blond grabbed her forehead. It didn't exactly hurt, yet there was a dull numbing sensation within her skull. She imagined that Mayu felt the same. It seemed as though whatever had happened to her had happened to her comrade as well. "You okay…?"

"I'm… fine…" Mayu narrowed her eyes down at the ground. "It seems… our anger triggered their appearance."

"Yeah…" Ino nodded her head. She frowned, expression turning sad. It had reminded her of why she was angry in the first place.

"Despite what happened, I don't think we should tell anyone, at least until we know what exactly was awakened within us," Mayu suggested.

"Sure…" Ino muttered.

"Let's head back to Gaara-kun."

"_Mm_."

0-0

The nine ninja had traveled to a large clearing. While moving back to where they had left Gaara, Ino and Mayu had been found by Gai's team. After explaining that the enemy had escaped—they didn't mention their ancestors—the group had pulled the body of the Kazekage out of the last of the enemy's creation. That is when Naruto, Kakashi, and Chiyo caught up. Again, situations had been reported. Sasori of the Red Sand had been killed. The three hadn't come out of it unharmed, though. Their clothes were dirty and bloody. Kakashi and Chiyo had multiple scratches on their faces. The elder ninja, though, looked to be in the worst shape. A clone had to be used to keep her upright. Same with Kakashi, but at least he wasn't panting heavily.

At the moment, Ino was a bit in denial. She was trying desperately to heal the Kazekage and revive him. Her efforts were pulling to be fruitless. Gaara remained still on the swaying grass. There was nothing she could. The Fifth Kazekage had died. "Gaara…" the blond kunoichi squeezed her eyes shut, removing her hands from the still body. More tears managed to get through her eye lashes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Her voice choked. Ino covered her mouth and stood up. Shoulders trembling, she stepped away from the dead body.

"_Why… Why did Gaara-kun have to die when he just became the Kazekage?"_ Mayu thought. _"__He was finally acknowledged in a proper way by his village… And this happens…? Akatsuki… Deidara… I won't forgive this."_ A hand was placed on her shoulder. She looked to see that it was Naruto. He looked so remorseful… for her. Her teammate wanted to comfort her. Sniffing, the kunoichi placed her hand on top of his, silently thanking him for, at least, trying. Without a word, Chiyo moved toward Gaara. She kneeled and placed her hands on his chest. She closed her eyes. Chakra suddenly emitted from her hands.

"Granny Chiyo!" Naruto exclaimed, taking his hand away from his teammate. "That jutsu…" She merely turned and smiled at him. "You…"

"So that's what you meant," Kakashi murmured.

"What are you doing?" Ino questioned. "I already-"

"She's bringing him back…" Kakashi explained. "With her very own jutsu, Chiyo-sama will be Gaara-kun back to life."

"What?" Ino and Mayu couldn't possibly keep their voices down. "Can you do that?"

"Mm…" Chiyo nodded her head. However, the chakra around her hands had gone down in size. "Damn, not enough chakra."

"Use mine!" Naruto stepped forward. "You can do that, right, Granny Chiyo?" For a moment, the older kunoichi merely stared at the blond.

"Put your hands on top of mine," she instructed him.

"Mine, too!" Mayu rushed forward, dropping to her knees. "I didn't use a lot of my chakra, so use however much you want." She put her hands on top of Naruto's. "If you can bring him back, I'd do anything."

Chiyo's lips parted in surprise, but then a small smile appeared. She concentrated on her jutsu. The smile didn't leave her face as she stared down at the young Kage. "In this world of ninja that old people like me created, I'm glad to know some like you have appeared." Naruto and Mayu looked towards her, but she didn't avert her gaze at all. "My past… Everything I've done has been nothing but one mistake after another. Still… in my last moments, it looks like I'll be able to set things right." She paused, closing her eyes. "The Sand… The Leaf… The future, starting now, will surely be different from the time I lived. With relations like these…" She managed a chuckle. "As a last request… Please help Gaara." The orb of chakra disappeared. The hands were removed from his chest. Seconds later, the Kage of the Sand village sat up, looking quite bewildered.

"Gaara…!" Ino sobbed out. She dropped down beside him again. "You're-"

"Ino…?" He looked around, looking even more bewildered. "And everyone else…?" As he said, many Sand ninja had gathered around, including his siblings. "This…" His voice shook.

"We came to save you!" Ino smiled. Despite the fresh tears, she smiled widely. "Everyone came to save you!"

"Gaara-kun…" Mayu almost whimpered. The red head turned to her. He narrowed his eyes, clearly wanting to know who she was. "You don't remember me?" She grinned, and then leaned forward. "I'm your friend." She reached forward, cupping his cheeks. Then, unconcerned with everyone else, kissed the red mark on the left side of his forehead. Ignoring the gasps from several kunoichi in the crowd, Mayu reared back. "It's me—Mayu."

"M-Mayu-san… You're back," Gaara said in a hushed voice. "Different, you're different, though."

"This is me for real," Mayu replied. "We went through a lot to get you, you know."

"For sure," Kankuro stepped forward, causing the Kazekage to shift his attention to his brother. "I guess you're a little brother I always have to worry about, _ne_?"

"Hey, don't go getting all complacent!" Temari dropped down near her brother. She closed her eyes, grin on her face. "Gaara's still the Kazekage, so don't be so cheeky! You're underlings!" At her words, Ino, Kankuro, and Mayu took on sour expressions. The younger blond kunoichi even called her Sand Wench. Temari ignored the looks and the nickname. "Gaara," she focused her attention on her younger brother. "How are you feeling?" She even spoke in a softer tone. The Kage tried to stand on his own.

"No, your body still hasn't recovered yet," Ino told him. "Take it easy for awhile." Slowly, Gaara nodded his head.

"Thanks, Mayu… Ino… You rescued him," Kankuro smirked.

"No, it was OG! She used this jutsu that-" Mayu turned to the elderly woman, but her words cut off upon noticing her still form. She didn't even appear to be breathing. "What? What happened?"

"So she used that jutsu," Kankuro murmured, glancing at Chiyo's body. "She's dead."

"What are you saying?" Naruto questioned.

"That ninjutsu can restore life… in exchange for the user's own," Kakashi answered.

"At one time, in the Sand's puppet squad… people tried to research and develop a jutsu to give life to puppets… Chiyo led that," Kankuro explained. "She worked out the theory behind the jutsu, but in the process… saying that the risk of the jutsu was too high, before experimentation, it was designated as a forbidden jutsu, and sealed away…"

"I keep expecting her to laugh out loud and say she was only joking. _Hmm_... Such a peaceful expression she has now..." Ebizou said. Gaara stood, with the help of Naruto, and spoke.

"Everyone... say a prayer for Chiyo," he said. All of the shinobi present bowed their heads in prayer.

0-0

A couple of days had passed since the return of the Kazekage. Now, it was time for the Leaf ninja to return to their own village. They, along with the three siblings, were at the entrance to the Sand village. Kankuro nodded, giving a two-fingered salute. Ino grinned and shook her head, but she returned the gesture of the puppet ninja. "Maybe I'll come back and visit," she suggested.

"Yeah, you do that," Kankuro smirked.

"Gaara-kun. It was short, but this is goodbye," Mayu stated. The red head nodded his head. He then extended his hand in her direction. "_Haha_—none of _that_!" The kunoichi rushed towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck. For her actions, she received incredulous looks. Most agreed that how she was behaving with the Kazekage was strange. Slowly, Gaara returned the hug. After a few moments, Mayu released him. "See ya!" She turned around, giving a final wave. Naruto only snickered, moving to follow after Mayu. However, he was pulled back by Ino. He turned to see everyone looking at him expectedly. Kakashi and Gai, though, were up ahead.

"Hey," Ino began. The Sand trio had already left to go back into their village. Gaara had lingered for a moment, but he, too, had followed after his siblings. "I've been meaning to ask this, but…"

"What?" Naruto asked, confused.

"Don't you think Mayu's a little too friendly with the Kazekage?" Tenten chimed in. She looked up in thought. "Does she like him… in _that_ way?"

"That way…?" he repeated. Then he laughed. "No way! She-" Naruto cleared his throat. He probably shouldn't mention anything about _that_ right now. "Mayu's always been like that—openly showing affection for those she cares for. It's not really surprising to see or experience anymore," Naruto told them. He smiled remembering the time she had been in Sakura's body. "She won't think twice about defending those she cares for either. "Gaara was our enemy before, but she still chose to save him. She views him as a precious friend, so of course she's gonna kiss and hug him like that, but she doesn't want to make him her _boyfriend_."

"_Hm_… I suppose that is true," Lee muttered. His teammates looked at him. "Mayu-san approached me during our stay in the Sand village. It seemed almost random for her to hug me, call me…" He blushed and cleared his throat. "Cute, and say she had always admired me."

"Yup, that's Mayu, alright! It doesn't mean she's thinking of being your girlfriend," Naruto agreed with a nod.

"Oh…" Ino pursed her lips together. "I see…"

"Then… Neji, too?" Tenten asked, turning towards her teammate.

"No." Neji nearly rolled his eyes.

"COME ON, GUYS! YOU WANNA GET BIT BY A CAMEL SPIDER? LET'S GO!" Mayu voice called out to them.

"C-Coming…!" Ino replied back. The group of Leaf ninja ran to catch up with the three.

Much time had passed since the group of ninja left the Sand village. However, they were still in the desert. Tenten gave a frustrated sigh as she glanced back at the two responsible for slowing their journey back to the Leaf. Kakashi and Gai were falling behind the group because the green-clad man had to carry his comrade. "Both of you are so slow," she remarked, crossing her arms. "I'd be surprise if we made it back in a week."

"_Ehhh_… sorry, Gai-kun," Kakashi mumbled. "Because I used that Sharingan, my body won't move…"

"RIGHT!" Gai suddenly shouted.

"_AH_! _Oh_! Wha…!" Because of the strange noises their sensei were making, the younger ninja turned their attention to the older men. All of them stopped, staring blankly at what they were witnessing. Naruto couldn't help but think how creepy the sight before him was. Gai had somehow gotten Kakashi onto his back—piggyback style.

"…" Neji couldn't think of anything to say.

"_I'm going to write so much yaoi!"_ Tenten thought, trying to maintain the look of disgust on her face. Inside, though, she was squealing.

"I thought they couldn't get any weirder," Ino said flatly.

"Maybe they'll be faster now…?" Mayu murmured, scratching her cheek.

"_AHA! It's training!"_ Lee thought, watching his mentor with admiration. Gai flashed a grin, nearly shouting that it _would_ be faster. He gave a boisterous laugh, challenging the younger ninja to try to keep up with him. He then sped off, kicking up sand behind him.

"Nope, they just got weirder," Ino deadpanned.

"Neji…!" Lee exclaimed, bending down so that the Hyuga could climb on his back. He had shifted his bag to his front so that his teammate wouldn't be uncomfortable holding on.

"Pass!" Neji declared.

"Hell yea!" Mayu shouted. She, instead, jumped on Lee's back. She pointed in the direction that Kakashi and Gai went. "_YAH_, BITCH, _YAH_!" As if commanded, Lee shot off like a bullet, trying to catch up to the older ninja. Neji closed his eyes and sighed.

"She hasn't changed," he muttered.

"No, not at all," Naruto agreed.

* * *

><p>Well, that certainly didn't happen in the original! Will these mysterious ancestors be reoccurring? Find out... <em>maybe<em>! Hahaha! Seriously, though, can I get 100 reviews before the start of the next arc. The _important_ arc, jut to let you know! Looking forward to your reviews!


	9. In My Head

Arms crossed, Mayu leaned against the building, appearing almost bored. Well, honestly, she didn't really care all that much about the topic. Everyone present was tense accept her. The team sent to rescue the Kazekage had returned to the village almost thirty minutes ago. The journey back had turned into a race. Of course, Gai had come in first, with Kakashi still on his back. Lee had arrived next with Mayu, cheering loudly, on his back. This had greatly annoyed the guards because it had been early in the morning. The others, panting, had arrived soon after. All had been well. Well, except for Kakashi. They had to take the jounin to the hospital.

That is where they had met the Hokage. She had congratulated them on their mission, and told them all to get some well deserved rest. She had left, but Naruto followed after her, telling her about the 'reward' he and Kakashi had received for defeating Sasori of Akatsuki. Intrigued, Mayu had followed after them. But she had been disappointed. Apparently, Sasori had given the location to where he was supposed to meet his secret spy that had infiltrated Orochimaru's inner circle. Mayu narrowed her eyes as she listened to Shizune and Tsunade go back and forth about who was going to go on a mission involving the rendezvous.

"Whatever! I'll go round up members to go with me!" Naruto finally exclaimed, annoyed with the arguing. "Come with me, Mayu!" He moved pass the Hokage, and then leapt from the building. Shrugging, the kunoichi moved to do the same. She had nothing better to do, anyway. Mayu caught up to Naruto. "_Bah_! Shizune-nee-chan talks too much!"

"She only worries about you, Naruto," Mayu told him. "Getting involved with Akatsuki is dangerous, after all."

"Still, I don't think that guy would have laid a trap like this while he was dying," Naruto muttered. "If that's the case, then Akatsuki won't be there anyway. Instead, this might be a chance for us to find out information about where Sasuke is."

"_Hm_…"

Naruto glanced at his teammate from the corner of his eye. _"Still…?"_ he thought. The blond ninja bit his lip and focused his gaze elsewhere. That indifferent expression came whenever the subject turned to Sasuke. He couldn't believe how uncaring she was. Even without her memories, she should have, at least, made fun of him or something. It had been something she used to do, after all. Then again, whenever Sasuke did come up, he had spoke of bringing him back. Or he had implied it. The way she was acting, it was as though Mayu didn't care either way. _"Then again, I haven't been trying to point out Sasuke's good points when she's around…"_ Wouldn't she get suspicious if he were to randomly spout how awesome his best friend was? He wouldn't put it past her. Mayu was like super perceptive, or something.

"Hey, Naruto!" she suddenly called to him. Again, the blond shinobi glanced her way. "Who exactly are we looking for?"

"Oh… Oh yeah," Naruto muttered. He jumped down to the streets. Mayu followed after him. The blond crossed his arms and began walking in a random direction. "I don't really know, but who would be a good fit?" The kunoichi shrugged, walking beside him. "I have to think about this very carefully." He ignored Mayu's snicker of 'Good luck,' and continued thinking critically. "It'd really suck if the person I picked ended up getting in the way. If he's strong, but has a shitty attitude, then the team will fall apart." In those aspects, Mayu supposed that Naruto was right.

"It's been awhile, Naruto, Mayu," a deep voice greeted them. The two teens halted their movements and turned back. The blond had been so deep in thought that he hadn't seen or sensed a person, leaning against a large tree. Mayu had only been paying attention to her teammate's words, so she didn't see the person either. However, she did recognize him right away. It had been about a month since she had seen him, though. The figure stepped out of the cover of the tree and into the light. As usual, he was nearly covered from head to toe. It was no wonder that Naruto couldn't identify who the person was immediately. "It's me."

Mayu snickered. _"Yeah, Shino, that's going to make __him realize,"_ she thought. The kunoichi crossed her arms, watching the interaction between the two. Naruto had rushed over to the 'unknown' ninja, inspecting him from all sides. Still, he hadn't been able to figure out who it was. It was when Shino spoke again that Naruto finally caught on. "Ah, you got it, did you?" Mayu laughed. Naruto turned to her with a sour expression.

"How the hell was I supposed to know with his face hidden like that?" he turned back to Shino. "You idiot!" Mayu's laughter was cut short. Her nose had twitched. "What is it, Mayu?"

"Kiba," she answered. For some reason, Naruto took on a fearful expression. Without warning, Akamaru jumped down from who knows where. Inuzuka Kiba straddled the giant dog's back. The ninja exclaimed a greeting to his teammate, and then focused on the two members of Team 7. Naruto pointed a shaking finger in his direction. Kiba, though, appeared excited as he hopped off his animal partner's back.

"Naruto, it's you!" he stated. His nose grew closer to the blond and actually sniffed him several times. "Yup, it's definitely Naruto!"

"That's how you recognized me?" Naruto asked flatly. That's when Akamaru barked loudly, shifted the attention onto him. Grinning, Mayu walked pass the two shinobi and towards the large dog. As she petted the animal, she could hear Naruto and Kiba conversing about Akamaru's growth spurt. The dog sat and accepted the pleasant treatment from the kunoichi. His tail wagged in satisfaction.

"Hey!" Kiba suddenly appeared beside her. "Why do you smell even more like a cat than before? Don't tell me you have hordes of them back at your place."

"_Haha_, very funny!" Mayu placed her hands on her hips and turned to the brown-haired shinobi. "It just so happens that I have a feline partner." Kiba blinked, surprised to hear that. "Yup, she's as big as Akamaru. Wanna see?" Without waiting for a response, Mayu bit her thumb and performed the hand signs for the Summoning Jutsu. Her hand gently touched the ground. Kiba had to jump back to avoid the sudden appearance of Mayu's feline partner. "Meet, Nana-chan!"

"Nana…?" Kiba repeated, raising a brow. The kunoichi jumped from the large black leopard and grinned. "No wonder… You smell just like her." The shinobi rubbed at his nose.

"That had better been a compliment," Mayu frowned. Then her eyes lit up. Unceremoniously, she lifted her blue shirt, showing off her stomach. "Check it, Kiba! I've forming abs now! _What_?" The Inuzuka blinked, and then squatted down so that his eye level was at Mayu's navel. He actually reached out and touched her skin.

"_Hm_, impressive, especially since you used to have a flat stomach," he said. The enraged sputter from Naruto was ignored. Kiba smirked before standing to his full height. "Still, you're nowhere near my level." He lifted his shirt, revealing his four pack abs. Mayu gasped, touching his muscled stomach. "Jealous, huh?"

"Kinda," she answered, nodding her head.

Naruto, not being able to take this interaction anymore, jumped in between the two. He had even pushed Kiba away. "What the hell is this? Why are you guys so touchy, feeling?"

"Why the hell are you so angry?" Kiba shouted back. Naruto was about to retort, but a sound entered his ears. He sharply turned his head in the direction he heard the noise. "Eh, Naruto…?" The blond, though, ignored his name and walked away. He could have sworn he had heard a familiar noise just now. He poked his head around the corner. Ah, now he understood why it had sounded so familiar. Hyuga Hinata had hidden herself around the corner after she had let out the small '_eep_.' Naruto grinned. He remembered that sound quite well now.

"What's up, Hinata?" he exclaimed. The lavender-eyed kunoichi gasped and slowly turned her head to him. As usual, her cheeks were stained red. He had recognized her right away because of it. Though her hair had grown longer, it was definitely Hinata. "Why are you hiding?"

"Na-Naruto-kun…!" Hinata whimpered. He was so close to her face! The kunoichi squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to faint. Swallowing hard, she forced a smile. "I… I… I was su-surprised to see you," she managed to get out.

"_Ah_! Stuttering again, Hinata-chan?" Mayu asked, appearing beside Naruto. She grinned a knowing grin, causing Hinata to freeze. "Could this be because of-?"

"You're back, Mayu!" Hinata interrupted. She hastily moved away from the blond to stand in front of her friend. "And… You have a forehead protector? So you are a ninja?"

"Yeah, Hokage-sama was like super impressed with my skills, so she let me be on a team with Naruto," Mayu explained. "We just got back from the Sand village. They let us rest there after our mission was over."

"_Ah_, that explains why I couldn't find you," Hinata remarked. She smiled lightly. "I'm glad you accomplished your goal." Mayu nodded her head. However, a frown soon surfaced.

"Now, I have another goal," she muttered.

"What?"

"No, nothing!" Mayu waved her hand. She turned to Naruto. "Anyway, I'm leaving right now."

"What? But what about-"

"I'll leave that up to you," she winked. "I'm going to take a nap. Come get me whenever! Bye!" Before Naruto could protest further, Mayu had jumped up and quickly made her escape. Soon after, Nana had disappeared as she was no longer needed. Naruto sighed heavily.

"Such a lazy teammate I have," he muttered, frowning.

0-0

Despite what she had told her teammate, Mayu's intentions weren't to take a nap. Rather, it was a rendezvous of her own. Whilst they rested in the Sand village, she and Ino had planned to meet up once they had returned to the Leaf. As to not arouse suspicion, they had decided to wait awhile. However, since it appeared that Mayu would be leaving so soon after the successful mission, she had made a decision to seek Ino out sooner than planned. This is the reason she was currently sneaking into Ino's room. Silently, she crawled in, closing the window behind her. She removed her shoes, leaving them on the table that was near the window.

Her blond comrade was not in her room at the moment. Mayu's nose twitched. However, it appeared that Ino was here. The sound of running water caused the kunoichi to avert her gaze. There were three doors. One must have been an exit. The other must have led to a bathroom. Yamanaka Ino sure was a spoiled one. Her room had its own bathroom. Crossing her arms, Mayu moved to sit on Ino's bed. Luckily, she didn't have to wait long. Within a few minutes, the young Yamanaka opened the door and stepped out of her bathroom, body wrapped in a fluffy blue towel.

It was only when she turned her eyes to her bed did Ino realized that someone was in her room. Of course, she let out a squeal, which abruptly stopped once she recognized the person. "M-Mayu…! What the hell?" An embarrassed flush adorned her face. She hadn't sensed her comrade _at all_. The dark kunoichi merely smirked. Removing her hand from her chest, Ino walked over to her closet. "Why are you here?"

"I'm going on a mission soon, I think, so I decided to see you before then," Mayu explained. "Anything new with your body?" Sighing, the blond walked into her closet, searching for clothes to wear. Her master was allowing her to rest more, so lazy attire would be just fine. She hadn't planned on going anywhere today, after all. "I can't find anything different with mine." Ino came out of her closet with a pair of shorts and a T-shirt.

"Same here," she answered.

"_Hm_…" Mayu nodded her head. "I thought as much." She closed her eyes, deep in thought. "I've been thinking about it, and I doubt our bodies 'awakened.' Rather, it must have been our minds based on the circumstance." Her head tilted down, yet her eyes remained shut. As Ino changed, Mayu remained quiet.

"I haven't felt any changes either," Ino murmured, pulling her shirt down. "There's nothing to indicate what happen to us when our ancestors appeared. They said that we were the new guardians, didn't they? But what did they mean? Guardians of _what_?"

"I don't know," Mayu shrugged. "But I have an idea… We should perform our respective clans' jutsu. The primary one." Ino furrowed her brow. "Think about it. Your ancestor came outta me, while my ancestor came outta you. That's too weird, don't you think? If we use our jutsu, perhaps we will find them."

"I… I see," Ino mumbled. "So you want to try this now?" Mayu nodded her head again. "Okay, let's do this." Her hands slowly came together in her family's signature hand seal. Mayu ran through a set of hand seals, stopping on the ram. "Ninja Art-" She focused on the dark-haired kunoichi.

"Ishikari Style!" Mayu extended her fingers towards the blond kunoichi.

"Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

0-0

Mayu squeezed her eyes shut, holding her head. That collision felt worse than she had expected. After a few moments, the throbbing went away. She opened her eyes and removed her hand from her head. Her gaze shifted several times. She had never seen the inside of a person's mind before due to her family's jutsu, but according to her grandmother, each individual had different environments inside their heads called mindscapes. It was a subconscious kind of thing. The person had no idea about the world created inside their heads. Nor that it was constantly changing. Mayu narrowed her eyes. Uzumaki Naruto's mindscape was a network of sewers. Haruno Sakura's was a void of purple and black. Well, that's what their mindscapes had been depicted as. Who knew if it was actually true?

Ino's mindscape was white with a mirror floor. Orbs of blue, green, and pink were scattered throughout. The orbs seemed to be hovering and slowly moving around, though. "Pink…?" Mayu thought. Her thoughts were echoed all around her. So it was useless to think here, huh? The pink orbs seemed to be a strange occurrence even though Mayu hadn't been in Ino's mind before.

"Indeed, it is something that has appeared recently," a voice told her. The kunoichi slowly turned her body, facing the direction of where the deep voice had come from. "It means she has allowed herself to fall in love." The voice had come from the man she had seen before. Mitsuo, her ancestor, stood before her. "It would seem that my sister's descendant is quite clever."

"What? What does that mean?"

"You figured out how to meet me," Mitsuo answered. "But there is another affect of coming here that you did not realize." Mayu raised an eyebrow, wanting him to explain. The man cocked his head to the side. "By coming here, you and Ino have successfully become the guardians. A part of you both will remain in one another, and all generations that come later, as I have done before you."

"So wait… You're telling me that you've been alive in Ino's family this whole time?" Mayu questioned. "You essentially had _two_ lives?"

"No, I do not know anything pertaining to my life after I came to reside in the Yamanaka family," Mitsuo stated. "This part of me only knows the life before I came to be here, and the lives of the ones I have been in. That is all."

"_Hm_… I have to do this now?"

"You will not be aware of it once you leave this girl's mind, but yes. This is to ensure that the Yamanaka's jutsu and our jutsu cannot be used against one another," Mitsuo continued. "With another spirit inside to overcome the effects the jutsu, it will be useless to try to use the jutsu in combat."

"Okay, so… Are we related to the Yamanaka clan?"

"No, there has yet to be a blond in our family," Mitsuo answered. "My great grandmother and Inoue were friends when they were children. They discovered that they had similar abilities, and so they became close. However, the rest of society feared their abilities and cast them out. They were the monsters of their time. This was before it became normal for humans to have abnormal abilities."

"_Ah_… but why am I not speaking with your great grandmother?"

"She was… wounded and could not perform her ability quite right. And so generations later, I became the guardian because I had the most potential of being awakened."

"I see… So then are you going to tell me about this awakening?"

"Of course. What Inoue and I have done is broadened your minds' capabilities to match our own," Mitsuo said. "Ino will have the ability to move objects with her mind. If she trains hard, she could also be able to move animals or humans. You will have mind control."

"Mind control…? The Yamanaka clan already has that, right?"

"Don't be a fool. That is a jutsu. Your new abilities will require no chakra."

"A… Abilities, you said?"

"Yes. Both of you will have the power to concentrate and condense your thoughts into physical, invisible attacks. Depending on the will or anger, that will be the determining factor as to how powerful the attacks are."

"This sounds too easy."

"Easy? No, this will not be easy. You will have to _learn_ how to use these abilities. We will teach you," Mitsuo said. Mayu swallowed. "Each time you come into this girl's mind, I will train you. Likewise with Ino in your mind. Eventually, you will master your abilities. Once that happens, I can finally rest."

"Is that right?" Mayu frowned. "How long is this going to take?"

"As much time is needed. It could appear like seconds to the outside world, but it will feel like years inside."

"_Ah_, what?" Mayu groaned loudly. "Years?" She groaned again.

"Yeah, I wasn't too happy about it either…" Mitsuo chuckled lightly. However, his neutral look returned soon after. "If you're lucky, this will only take three years to master. Another four years to master the ability to change your will and thoughts into physical attacks." Mayu's horrified expression was enough for the man to snicker again. "Don't worry, in reality, it'll only be two seconds each since this is purely mental training. We will begin immediately!"

"No way! I didn't sign up for this! I wanted to sleep!"

0-0

"_Eh_…?" Naruto's run changed into a walk until he stopped. His blue eyes glanced around the area. However, he couldn't see anyone. "This is the right place for the meet up, isn't it?" The blond shinobi crossed his arms. He didn't see these three new members to Team 7 that the Hokage was going on about. Mayu wasn't here either. It was strange considering his teammate tried her best to be on time. Hell, she was usually early. _"__Maybe I got the location wrong,"_ Naruto thought, frowning. He was in the process of turning when footsteps alerted him to another presence. From behind a pillar stepped out a pale shinobi. He had recognized him instantly. The short dark hair and his expressionless dark eyes were all too familiar. "YOU…!" He pointed a finger. The unknown ninja merely smiled and politely greeted Naruto. He wasn't buying it for a second, though. The guy had showed the exact same smile when he had _attacked_ him earlier. "You're the one from the roof earlier!"

Another person stepped out. He appeared older than Naruto, but blue eyes remained focused on the ass that had attacked him with a smile. The older ninja was even talking, but Naruto's glare remained fixated on his new teammate. Thinking of this guy in that way only caused the snarl on Naruto's face to widen. The older ninja watched the interaction between the two, almost sighing out. This was not going to be easy. Naruto was too heated that he hadn't realized another had approached. She greeted the man with a small nod. So this was the medic, huh?

The new addition turned to Naruto. After a few moments, she placed her hands on her hips, clearly annoyed. "Naruto… Naruto!" Finally, she shouted his name. This brought the blond shinobi out of his fierce stare. He sharply turned to face the speaker. Expectedly, his eyes widen in shock. He sputtered out her name while pointing a finger. "What's got you so riled up that you didn't even notice me?" Her gaze focused on the pale ninja dressed in black. "Do you know him?"

"Yeah!" Naruto returned his attention to the shinobi. "He attacked me earlier, Sakura-chan!" Immediately, the two young ninja moved, pulling out their respective weapons. The atmosphere was most intense. "Like I'm going to let you get away with-" Naruto's threat was cut short due to the rock colliding with his head.

"Knock it off!" A voice nearly hissed as the blond stumbled, trying to remain upright. The four turned their heads in the direction of a nearby tree. "_Jeez_, can you get any ruder? I'm trying to sleep!" Mayu jumped from the tree she had been napping in. She had landed on all fours. Currently, she was stretching, much like a cat would. Her slow yawn was not covered.

"Mayu! You were here this whole time?" Naruto questioned as the kunoichi stood up. She nodded.

"I wanted to get as much rest in as possible before the mission, but some loud mouth prevented me from doing that," she answered. Naruto scowled at the implication. Mayu's attention, though, focused elsewhere. She walked over, examining the other three. "So this is the new team, huh?" Blue eyes locked in on green eyes. "I thought you weren't a ninja. Why are you going?"

"Hokage-sama wanted a medic to go along. Since I was the one available, I got chosen," Sakura explained. Her lip twitched. "I still have basic ninja training, you know." Mayu didn't seem to catch the irritated tone of the pink-haired medic. She turned her focus on the other two, asking who they were.

"I am acting as the team's interim captain while Kakashi-san is in the hospital," the man answered. "Please call me Yamato." He stepped forward again. "Since you guys are on the same team, it will cause problems if you don't get along."

"_Eh_…? But I don't even know these two. Why wouldn't I get along with them?" Mayu murmured. The pale ninja released his grip on his weapon, causing the kunoichi to shift her attention to him.

"Sorry about before," he said. "I wanted to know how strong you were since we're on the same team." For a moment, Naruto appeared confused. Then he retracted his kunai back into his sleeve, saying that the pale ninja didn't have to go that far. "Thanks to our encounter, I've learned that you are a useless, dickless, pantywaist." The reaction to his opinion was met with Naruto's furious shouting. Sakura had to hold him back from attacking. Laughter had burst from Mayu's lips, leading Naruto to begin shouting at her.

"Don't start a fight with him!" Sakura shouted. "He's our teammate now!" She tried very hard to hold Naruto back from attacking his teammates. It wasn't clear who he was going after, though—Mayu or the pale one? "And you," she directed her gaze to the unknown shinobi. "You're really being a jerk." He actually chuckled, but it seemed as false as his smile. "If you keep acting like that, everyone will hate you." Her green eyes narrowed at his form.

"Oh? But I really like ugly bitches like you," he said. This time it was Sakura's turn to get held back by Yamato. A new burst of laughter came from Mayu. Still giggling, she moved over to the pale ninja. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close.

"You're funny. I think I'm going to like you," she grinned. Without warning, she planted a kiss to his nose. This brought on the confused and enraged shouts from Sakura and Naruto respectively. However, they were ignored. "My name is Ishikari Mayu. Let's work well together, alright?" Slowly, the shinobi nodded his head. The false smile returned.

"My name is Sai. I am glad you feel that way, darky."

Mayu blinked, and then slowly removed her arm from shoulders. For some reason, she was mildly offended by that. "If that's how you feel-" Her eyebrow twitched as did her upper lip. "-Then should I call you pasty? Pasty white ass?" Yamato waved his hands around in an effort to shift the attention to him.

"Okay, okay—enough with the hostility," he ordered. He lightly tapped his mask styled forehead protector that framed his face. "Anyway, the five of us will start our mission soon, and we won't get enough chances to get to know each other, so… introduce yourself." The blond shinobi scoffed and shifted annoyed eyes to Sai. He stated his name only. Similar to Naruto, Sakura stated only her name and glared at the one who had called her an ugly bitch. Mayu snorted before saying her name. Sai merely smiled, oblivious to the eye daggers. "Now that you know each other, that's the end of that. I'll explain the mission now." After giving the details of the mission, Yamato ordered the four to gather equipment and meet at the front gate in one hour. The younger ninja signaled that they understood, and then went their separate ways. Well, Sai went off in a different direction, but the other three stayed together.

As they walked beside each other, Naruto couldn't keep his grumbles to himself. He locked his hands behind his head. Clearly, he was irritated. "I really just… can't stand that asshole!" he nearly growled. "Why is he taking Sasuke's place? I don't like him at all!" Sakura frowned as she watched Naruto from the corner of her eye. She took a glance at Mayu, but the kunoichi only stared straight ahead as if she wasn't even listening to her teammate rant.

"He's… definitely vulgar," she commented, locking her hands behind her back. "But don't you think he resembles Sasuke-kun somewhat? Like his face and voice?"

"_Ehhhhh_? No way! Sasuke's way cooler than that- I mean, Sasuke's just better!" Naruto shouted. Sakura smiled at the response. She couldn't help but to agree. Then her gaze slid to Mayu. She had remained silent on the subject, and so Sakura chose to ask her. As she was Uchiha Sasuke's girlfriend, it would only make sense that she felt that Sasuke was cooler than any other guy.

"Sasuke cooler? Just what is your definition of cool?" Mayu replied with a question. Sakura blinked in confusion. "My definition of cool must greatly differ from what you guys think is cool." Her eyes narrowed, focusing on the ground below. "He's not cool at all. There's nothing cool about being a traitor." The medic of the three nearly gasped, but managed to keep it in.

"_Shouldn't she be praising her boyfriend?"_ she thought, stunned into silence.

"I'm leaving. Meet you guys later," Mayu announced. She jumped away without another word. Once she was gone, Naruto let out a heavy sigh and stopped walking, causing Sakura to turn to him. She stopped as well.

"What was that all about?" she questioned. "She acts like she doesn't care about Sasuke-kun at all."

"That's because… she doesn't," Naruto grimaced.

"What? But I thought-"

"She doesn't remember. She can barely remember being in your body," Naruto continued. He sighed heavily again. "That period of time she was gone erased her memories. She can't remember her feelings for Sasuke. Even if I tell her that, she'd probably deny it." To say that Sakura was shocked would be an understatement. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Amnesia? Was it possible? Truthfully, she knew little to nothing about Ishikari Mayu. Her appearances and disappearances were unknown to her.

"_So if she's really forgotten about Sasuke-kun… that means…"_ Her thoughts trailed off. A frown appeared. What was she thinking? She couldn't possibly see this as an opportunity. For a moment, her eyes closed. Mayu may have forgotten, but… _"__I'm an idiot… Even after all this time…"_

"Anyway, Sakura-chan, it's gonna be great working with you again," Naruto snapped the medic out of her thoughts. He moved on ahead, waving back. "Meet ya at the gate!" The blond took off. It was only a few seconds before Sakura could no longer see him. Her eyelids lowered, partially covering her green eyes.

"_Is this… my chance?"_ she thought.

0-0

The team of five walked at a leisure pace. Yamato took the lead with Mayu following close behind him. Behind her were Sai and Naruto. Sakura walked behind those two. It was relatively quiet, but the atmosphere was quite tense. Naruto had not stopped glaring at the pale ninja since the group had left the Leaf village. With vibes like this, it was only a matter of time before a confrontation ensued. Finally, Sai could no longer take the staring. "What is it?" he questioned. The blond remained silent, choosing to continue scowling at the black-clad ninja. "Please stop staring at me like that, or I'll have to smack you."

"_Oh shit,"_ Mayu thought, coming to an abrupt halt. She turned to see Naruto had expectedly begun yelling at Sai. She watched the two of them go back and forth until her teammate finally exploded with rage, nearly screaming out that Sai didn't belong on the team at all. That's when Yamato stepped in, reminding the blond of what Kakashi had taught him. Teamwork.

"It's because _he__'s_ not part of Team 7!" Naruto shouted, pointing a finger in Sai's direction. "The other member of Team 7… is Sasuke! This guy is… just taking Sasuke's place, someone chosen to fill the gap. I'll never consider someone like him as a team member!"

"Well, I'm glad you think of me that way." Sai replied with a smile. One hand moved to his hip. "Betraying the Leaf village… Running off to serve Orochimaru… Don't put in the same group as that gutless little homo. The weak, shit-for-brains, clone of Orochimaru known as Uchiha Sasuke—please do not compare me to him." Naruto looked about to attack the pale shinobi.

"Naruto," Mayu stopped him using her voice alone. The blond turned her way, still looking as fierce as ever. The dark-haired kunoichi walked over, arms crossed over her chest. "Sai's opinion is Sai's opinion. Don't attack him just because he announces it. He's your teammate now whether you like it or not. Remember the time when Team 7 was first established? You didn't like Sasuke all too much either, but you eventually you got along with him, right? You don't know Sai. He doesn't know you, _calm the hell down_!" Naruto averted his gaze to the ground as though he had been scolded by an older sibling. "Have patient and learn to control your temper. It's irritating." The blond mumbled a few words, but didn't protest. Mayu turned to Sai. "Like I said, your opinions are your own. You don't personally know Uchiha Sasuke, but you've heard of him. You can only form an opinion based on what you heard, so what you said about him is perfectly justifiable."

"Mayu…!" Naruto growled out.

"_Tch_…!" Sakura's expression hardened.

"That being said, now that you know how Naruto will react because of your words, I ask that you keep your opinions about Sasuke to yourself," Mayu continued. "It's clear to me that Naruto doesn't like hearing negative comments regarding someone he views as a best friend." She smiled brightly. "Talk shit about Sasuke in front of me again, and I'll stop talking. I'm sure you know what that means, right, Sai-chan?" The pale ninja momentarily appeared befuddled, but then the fake smile slid back into place.

"Got it," he said. "I won't say anything in front of you or him. But it's amazing… You smiled while giving a threat. I'll have to remember that."

"Okay!" Yamato clasped his hands together. "Wood Style! Four Pillar Prison Jutsu!" His shout caused the heads of the young ninja to turn in his direction. Behind him stood a large wooden cage made of chakra and the ground underneath them. "Either I can lock you all in this cage for a day to improve your teamwork, or we can go to a hotel with hot springs. Which will it be?" The four merely stared at him. "You don't know me either, right? I like being nice and friendly, but…" His face suddenly took on an expression that Mayu couldn't quite place. "I don't have any problems ruling with fear!" Regardless of not knowing, it still scared the crap out of her.

"_Eeekk_!" She literally screamed, jumping into Naruto arms. Sakura stared at Mayu with a flat expression as Naruto tried to keep the wiggling girl calm.

"… _This person is… weird as hell,"_ the medic thought.

0-0

"Don't go looking! Why are you always talking about penises anyway?"

The shout from the male side of the hot springs caused many women to laugh out loud. Sakura sank further into the water up her neck. It was embarrassing to realize that the shout came from Uzumaki Naruto. Mentally sighing, her green eyes glanced in Mayu's directions. She was sitting against the edge, giggling as well. How could she just laugh about the situation when Naruto was her teammate? Ishikari Mayu really was a strange one. _"__You're too carefree, you know."_ Sakura moved over to her comrade and sat beside her. It was depressing to realize that Mayu's breasts were larger than hers. The medic sighed heavily. Then again, a lot of the women hear had bigger breasts than her.

"Sakura, something wrong?" Mayu asked, turning her head. Flushing, and not because of the hot temperature, the pink-haired teen quickly waved her hand.

"No, nothing!" she lied. The kunoichi stared for a moment, and then shrugged. She went back to relaxing with her eyes closed. "But… I did want to ask you something," Sakura admitted. Mayu didn't respond in any way so she continued. "This mission is… Like Captain Yamato said, this mission could be the Leaf's chance to take out Orochimaru and bring back Sasuke-kun." Still, no reaction. "I wanted to know… how you felt about it."

"How I feel…?" Mayu finally opened her eyes. "What's that got to do with anything? I'm following orders… That's it."

"But you and Sasuke-kun are-" Sakura had to stop herself and calm down. "You and Sasuke-kun were on the same team before. Sasuke-kun must have found out about you taking control over my body. You two must have bonded like you and Naruto. You were his friend at some point, right?"

"Whatever bond we had didn't mean a thing to him," Mayu muttered. "He made the decision to leave the bonds he made behind. He didn't care, so why should I? Especially since I can't remember." The kunoichi was silent for a moment. It looked as though she wanted to say something else, but chose not to. Instead, she turned and moved to get out of the spring. "I'm going in since I'm sleepy." She lifted her body out before wrapping a towel around her body. "Try not to make too much noise when you come in. I tend to fall asleep fast, but really I'm a light sleeper."

"_The hell you are,"_ Sakura thought.

"Wake me for dinner, though!" Mayu began walking away. The medic watched her go until she closed the door behind her. With another sigh, Sakura turned back around to finish relaxing. Her gaze was aimlessly staring down at the surface of the water. She sank in. The water covered her whole body from her lips down. She curled her body, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"_I see…"_ The medic closed her eyes, and then allowed her body to sink completely. _"__Even though she forgot, she still feels something for Sasuke-kun… Even if it is bitterness, it's still there. It isn't indifference like I first thought. She just doesn't want to talk about Sasuke-kun__ at all because that might bring about unwanted memories. Could it be that she doesn__'t want to remember him? Is that preventing her memories from returning?"_ Something big must have happened on the mission to retrieve Sasuke. And the only ones that know about it are… those three. Even Naruto seemed to be not telling something. That, itself, was big. Sakura pushed herself out of the water. "It's none of my business. I'm not a part of that team anymore," she murmured. "I have it up because I wasn't fit to be on it." She nodded to herself. Then decided to cool down as well.

Tomorrow, she would need to be serious.

0-0


	10. To Each Their Own I

She ran from an unknown person. Whether it was a friend or foe, she couldn't determine that at the moment. She had been sunbathing quite peacefully when a person dressed in black had approached her. Though he wore a white mask with long blue hair attached to it, Mayu was sure about his identity. It was him again. Obviously it was him. His voice was the same. He had told her to run. For some reason, her body had done as commanded. Currently, she was trying to keep away from him.

Mayu swallowed hard as she ran across the forest floor, being careful to avoid the trees. Above her, he flawlessly traveled through the tree branches. So he was agile, huh? The kunoichi found herself smirking. She rushed forward, randomly running up a tree. She pushed herself in an upward angle. The masked familiar stranger stopped before narrowly dodging a spinning kick. The girl landed on all fours, only to bring her leg back up in an attempt to catch the masked person off guard. He merely caught her leg. For a moment, the two only stared at one another. Finally, Mayu lifted her foot again. He lowered his wrist. "You're not a pushover, I take it?"

"No," he replied, stepping forward.

"Good. I wouldn't allow myself to fall for anyone I didn't view as my equal," Mayu stated. Blinking, she got a good look at him. "Why the costume? Even if you weren't wearing it, I still wouldn't be able to see you."

"You don't have the right to speak," he muttered. He pointed a finger in her direction, causing the kunoichi to look down at her attire. She, too, was dressed in all black. She felt her face, only to realize that porcelain matter covered it. She removed the mask to see that it had long purple hair attached.

"… We're into matching? _Ew_…"

"Your idea, not mine." Mayu tossed the mask over the tree branch, nearly shuddering. Just what type of child had she been? "You were dense, though—probably still are." The guy ignored her indignant shout of protest. "These outfits weren't meant to show we were together as a couple. Rather they were meant for…"

"For…?"

"That is… for you to decide." Mayu could have sworn she felt his smirk. She glowered in his direction and crossed her arms. "Still…" He moved quickly so that he was right in front of her. However, the kunoichi didn't rear back. She merely blinked, watching him partially lift his mask. Underneath the white mask was pale skin. "These outfits are the reason we first kissed." Before Mayu could even respond to his statement, he pulled her closer by grabbing her arm. His lips gently touched her cheek. "So… it'll 'heal faster,' is what you told me." The teen slid the mask back in place. "You said your mom told you that."

"Y-Yeah…" Mayu nodded her head. She reached up to touch her cheek. "You kissed me without permission?"

"You kissed me first—remember that."

"_Haha_, you're _so_ funny."

"Well," he turned his back to her. "This is the last time I'll try to make you remember."

"_Hm_? What does that mean? You won't be appearing in my dreams, anymore?"

"You're so close, I'm not needed anymore," he stated. "Besides, your mind is getting sharper due to the mental training you're putting yourself through."

"You're not going to reveal yourself to me?"

"I don't see the point. You'll find the real me eventually… and then we'll have like nineteen kids."

"…"

"Yes, nineteen. At some point, we have to have two sets of triplets."

Mayu had a hard time not smacking the mysterious guy.

0-0

Slowly, her eyes opened. She stared at the ceiling for a moment. Then she sat up. This was so stupid. How could her own mind tell her it was the last time it was going to try to get her to remember? Sharper mind, her ass. She still couldn't come up with the identity of the man in her dreams. Well, she had seen his skin this time. However, that didn't narrow things down for her. It could have been any male. The guy seemed to enjoy teasing her, too. Had she come across someone like that yet? No. Males she had come into contact with since she had returned to her original home either irritated her or didn't. Mayu frowned. Also, just because he blocked her attacks and knew how to use chakra didn't mean he was a ninja. After all, her past mentor hadn't been a ninja anymore, but he was still a warrior.

Mayu pressed the back of her thumb against her lower lip. This mystery was frustrating as hell. For all she knew, the mystery person in her dreams was Uchiha Itachi. Her grandmother did always comment on how they would make a cute couple and how her grandbabies would be oh so adorable. The kunoichi frowned. Then there was that whole arranged marriage thing. "_Ew_…" she murmured. Thinking of that man as anything other than a brother made her want to gag, though. It wasn't Itachi. Besides, he didn't show any indication of having any romantic feelings for her ever. In addition to that, the way the stranger in her dreams teased her and the way Itachi had teased her differed. _"Even if it's just a bit, at least I've narrowed it down." _Mayu almost laughed bitterly. What a joke that was.

A small noise from her roommate made the kunoichi turn her head, blue eyes focusing on Haruno Sakura. She was still sleeping, though. For the night, the two girls had shared a room. Naruto and Sai had to share a room, too. The captain of the team, Yamato, had his own room. Mayu's gaze lingered for a moment on her new teammate before she removed the cover from her body. The kunoichi then stood up. Judging from the atmosphere outside, it was morning already. She was up now, so there was no point in going back to sleep.

Sighing, she untied her robe. _"Better do that homework then,"_ she thought. As quickly as she could, Mayu dressed and made up her futon. She grabbed her things, so she would have to come back, and left the room. Sakura apparently was a deep sleeper, so even with the bit of noise Mayu had made, the medic of team did not stir. The kunoichi closed her eyes and slid the door close behind her. The sooner she did this, the sooner her headache, which would arise because it would disappear. Then again, perhaps it would be bad. After it was all over, she would fall asleep again.

"_Bah_! I'm sure I won't fall asleep when it matters!" Mayu grinned, walking down the hallway. She intended to do her 'homework' outside. Once outside, the kunoichi found a tree to sit in. A sturdy branch would do nicely. She closed her eyes again. _"Maybe with this ability, I can nip this entire mission in the bud. Since it's about that guy's whereabouts, maybe I could prevent this from turning into a long drawn out plot."_ With that thought in mind, the kunoichi began her training.

0-0

Without warning, Mayu dropped down on the stone walkway, causing Sakura to gasp lightly. Sai only stopped drawing and glanced behind him. The kunoichi stretched her arms high before turning towards her two teammates. "Hey," she greeted with a smile. "I was about to take a nap when I saw you two."

"A nap…?" Sakura repeated. Her green eyes looked around. "Where?"

"Over there," Mayu pointed just beyond the small river. There was a small forest. "Didn't want it to appear like I was spying, so I decided to skip the nap and come talk." The kunoichi walked over to Sai, whom was still sitting. He had gone back to drawing, seemingly uninterested in the conversation. "So what are you doing, Sai-chan?" she asked curiosity getting the better of her. She peered over his shoulder just as Sakura remarked that she was about to ask him that as well. Mayu stared at the colors of his drawing for a moment. "So you're into abstract, huh? I don't like it all that much, but I think it's cool that nothingness can have a meaning behind it." Abruptly the pale shinobi stopped moving. After a second, he turned his dark eyes to the girl.

"Nothingness… meaning? It doesn't have meaning. That is a contradiction," he stated. "Nothingness, I agree, but meaning… I do not believe it has meaning as it doesn't have a title."

"It doesn't have a title?" Sakura took a look at the work of art over his other shoulder. Hands on her knees, she turned her attention to Sai. "You mean you haven't thought of one yet, right?" The shinobi glanced at her.

"I meant what I said."

"Of course abstract has meaning!" Mayu argued. "You just don't start drawing for no reason! It has to come from somewhere. Take this one for example. The blue and red… could represent emotion. Here-" She pointed to a certain spot on the paper. "-The colors seem to mix and accept one another, while here-" She pointed again. "The colors seem as though they're clashing. Conflicting emotions…" Her eyelids lowered as she continued to stare down at the drawing. Sakura couldn't help but notice it. Could that be want she was actually feeling about this certain mission? The pink-haired medic turned back to the drawing. She didn't see the same thing as Mayu had. The kunoichi stood to her full height and turned her eyes away. "_Uh_, anyway, that's my thoughts on it. I'm sure you must have your own opinions and feelings towards your work."

"No, I don't have feelings," Sai responded. He continued drawing. "No thought. No feeling… Definitely no emotion."

"Then why do you do it?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah, since you're an artist, you must take pride in your work. There must be a reason why you draw."

"I do it… because I am able," Sai stated with a smile. Sakura frowned at such a response. Mayu only shrugged.

"Well, regardless, you do have talent, Sai-chan," she commented. "The most I can do is drawing a sun with sunglasses." The medic gave the kunoichi a bizarre look. She was about to say something, but a voice interrupted, telling the team it was time to go. Uzumaki Naruto walked towards the three with a frown on his face and his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Captain Yamato told me to come get you guys," he stated. The blond shinobi stopped behind his sitting comrade, looking down at his drawing. He scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "That picture's nothing special." For a brief moment, the two shinobi only stared at one another. Sakura sighed heavily while Mayu yawned.

"Yeah… Just like your dick," Sai retorted with another fake smile.

"_Guh_…! I'm really serious when I say I can't stand you!" Naruto shouted, pointing a finger. His glare turned towards his teammate. Sakura snickered, but she managed to cover her grin with her hand. Naruto didn't notice. "Mayu! It isn't funny! Stop laughing! You're _encouraging_ him!" Once it was clear that the kunoichi would not stop—really, it appeared as though she couldn't breathe—Naruto returned his angry stare back to the pale ninja. "If you've got a problem with me, then say it to my face! Quit your fake smiling and tell me straight up! If it's a fight you're after, I'm game!"

"That's not it at all." He closed his pad. "I really don't feel anything for any of you," Sai replied. By then, the laughter from Mayu had completely stopped. The wind suddenly picked up as the three responded to the pale ninja with silence. Sai turned his head back. "Please go on ahead. I'll be there when I'm finished cleaning." Sakura volunteered to help him out. She picked up a book, staring at it for a brief second before handing it to Sai.

"Did you draw this, too?" she asked.

"Yeah…" The pale ninja quickly placed the picture book in his bag.

"Can I look at it while we're walking?" Sakura asked.

"No. It's not finished," Sai stated. "Also, I don't let people borrow it. It belonged to my brother." The medic's knitted together at his statements.

"_So Sai-chan has a brother…?"_ Mayu thought. She crossed her arms. _"And yet he says he doesn't have feelings…__ What a strange guy." _Her blue eyes stared as the pale shinobi. Then a smirk crossed her face. _"So I was right, huh? Be prepared, Sai. I won't let you escape."_

0-0

Mayu couldn't say that she liked this situation all too much. She watched as Sai untied the captain of the squad. Yamato even went as far as to praise the pale shinobi for capturing him. Naruto and Sakura were standing by her side as well. Last night, Yamato had stated the team would be doing an exercise in regards to capturing Sasori's spy. The captain acted as though he was the spy, while the rest of the team's job was to capture without killing. They were simple instructions, but once the mock mission started, things had taken a turn for the worse. In Mayu's opinion, at least.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Naruto suddenly blurted out once the binds had been removed. "Sai, you asshole!" Yamato closed his eyes, saying that the simulation was over. He released his jutsu, which had made the bridge, with a grunt. "You bast-" Clearly, the blond shinobi was about to go ballistic on his teammate, so Mayu decided to step in before things got ugly.

"Captain Yamato!" She raised her hand, drawing the attention of everyone. This had stopped Naruto from grabbing onto Sai as well. "Permission to evaluate the team!" Almost confused, the older ninja repeated her sentence in a questioning manner. "Yes. I may be young, but I've been the captain of a team of people before, though it was only the archery team at my school. Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. And of course I'll evaluate myself seeing as how I'm on the team as well."

"_Ah_… I suppose that's fine," Yamato muttered. _"Kakashi-senpai did tell me about this,"_ he thought. _"I'm rat__her interested in her thought process. Being praised by Kakashi-senpai is considered an honor."_ The kunoichi turned to her three comrades, smiling with enthusiasm.

"Before I begin, let me warn you that I may seem harsh, but I'm doing this for the good of the team," Mayu stated.

"_Eh_…? Harsh? What do you mean, Mayu?" Naruto asked.

"Well, that's not really _my_ opinion," the girl said, batting the air like a kitten. "That's just what my kohai have whispered amongst themselves, thinking I didn't hear. _Hahaha_. Oh, the things I made them do after that. _Hahahaha_!" Mayu ignored the panicked looks that crossed Naruto and Sakura's faces. "Now let's get started, shall we?" Her fingertips touched in front of her. "As Captain Yamato stated, the spy was successfully captured in this exercise. Well done. I was surprised how quick the spy had been apprehended." She turned her entire focus on the pale ninja. "Sai, your skills are quite something. However…"

"However…?" he repeated. No holds bar, the kunoichi's fist rammed into his cheek. The force behind the punch actually sent the shinobi sliding back a few meters. The others could only stare, mouths open, stunned into silence. Mayu waited patiently for Sai to return to a standing position. "You… You fooled me again." The pale shinobi wiped the blood from his chin. "That smile—you're so good at it."

"Didn't you know?" Mayu asked. "Forcing a smile is a girl's many talents. But back to the matter at hand. Do you understand why you got hit?"

"Obviously you're angry with me."

"Yes, but do you know the reason?" Sai remained quiet. "It's because you did something unforgivable. If this had been real and _I_ had been captain, I would have brutally punished you, maybe even killed you." Sakura gasped at the bold statement. She was ignored, though, along with the sudden gust of wind. "You tied your own teammate up, ultimately leaving him to die. What if the enemy had doubled back, coming across the tied up Naruto? The enemy would have taken full advantage of that situation and killed him because of _you_!" Mayu crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes into a glare. "No matter what you thought. No matter your skill level. You are… unfit to be on a team. Not just this one, but _any_ team. In a team, no matter who happens to be on it, the team takes care of each other, backing one another up and covering each other's weaknesses. What you did to Naruto, like I said before, is unforgivable."

Sai's eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the kunoichi's words. "Isn't… Isn't that a bit too much, though?" Sakura asked. "I mean, you didn't have to punch him like that."

"Sakura," Mayu calmly switched her attention to the medic of the team. "You were actually pretty good in your role. As the team's medic, I commend you for keeping your distance from the enemy. If you had tried to engage in battle and the enemy killed you, there would be no one to heal the rest of us if need be." The pink-haired girl blushed at being praised. "However, you continued to follow the enemy despite the fact that Naruto was left behind. Even if he wasn't injured, you should have helped him out."

"Oh… Sorry, I was focused on the mission," Sakura muttered.

"No excuses! We only have one shot at this, after all," Mayu replied. Next, she shifted her eyes to Naruto, missing the irritated look on the medic's face. "Naruto, as the powerhouse of the team, I'm sure it threw the spy off to have you and your clone, disguised as Sai, coming out him. This would lead him into a false sense of security, leading the real Sai to come out in a surprise attack. Nice thinking." The blond shinobi grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "However, as soon as you were taunted, all logical thoughts flew from your mind. The spy provoked you, and you easily fell into his trap and he saw how the clone's attack was the same as yours. This made him realize that the real Sai was lying in wait for him." Mayu released a sigh as Naruto poked his lip out. "I told you before. Your temper and impatience are too big of a weakness. They could get you or someone else killed. Do you _understand_ that? While you were ranting and raving about how much of a jackass Sai is, you _could_ have been thinking of a way to get yourself out! No, instead, you wanted to bring attention to yourself by yelling. This could attract enemies, don't you _know_ that?"

"_Ah_, well, _uh_-"

"Well, what about you?" Sakura asked, crossing her arms. "You said you'd assess yourself, too!"

"Of course," Mayu coolly responded. She dropped her arms to her side. "My position was back up. I hid myself, waiting for a chance to help capture the enemy. I saw how skilled Sai was, so against my better judgment, thought it was best to focus on Naruto. Good thing I did. Because he was in a bind, literally, I had to get Naruto out of it."

"_Ah_! So that was your arrow?" Naruto exclaimed, pointing a finger.

"Of course. Nana-chan is out sunbathing somewhere," Mayu explained. She cleared her throat. "However, because I held back and merely observed, I couldn't work with any of the members of my team. Also, perhaps by actually doing something other than watching, the time it took to capture the spy would have been cut in half." The kunoichi saw Sakura about to say something. "And yes, I am _that_ confident in my skills." A pink eyebrow twitched.

"_I just can't bring myself to like her,"_ Sakura thought. The corner of her lips twitched as well.

"Then there's the whole wasting my chakra thing. Summoning Nana-chan just to have my arrows is kinda silly, so I'm going to keep my weapon with me to save chakra," Mayu continued, ignorant of Sakura's annoyed expression. "Because of this simulation, I have learned from my mistakes, and I hope you guys did as well… Especially you, Sai-chan."

"I do not think I appreciate being the only one hit," the pale ninja rubbed his jaw. Mayu only grinned. _"But__ to think she broke through my jutsu with just an arrow. Her arms are quite strong."_ Sai felt around his mouth with his tongue. Nothing was broken. She must have gone easy on him with that punch. If she had been serious, would he missing a couple of teeth?

"_Aww_, I didn't hurt you too badly, did I, Sai-chan?" Suddenly her arms were wrapped her around him. "Let me kiss you and make it better." Before he could protest, the kunoichi kissed his nose, equipped with the '_muah_' sound. "You've really got to stop doing things that makes me want to hurt you, okay?"

"… _Mayu, I really hope you don't do that in front of Sasuke…"_ Naruto thought, not bothering to keep the sour look from his face.

"_This girl…!"_ A vein bulged on Sakura's forehead. _"I can't get us__ed to her!"_

"Anyway, Captain Yamato, how was that?" Mayu questioned the leader of the squad.

"_Hm_… It was a fairly accurate assessment, I must admit," Yamato answered. _"Not just fairly accurate either… If this is how she is when she's only observing, wha__t is like during battle?__ Did she say she was the captain of some team before? So she has the experience, does she?__"_The man suddenly clapped his hands, gaining the attention of his subordinates. "Alright, change of plans," he announced. "Last night, I told you the teams we would have when we make it to the bridge. Because of this exercise, I'm changing it a bit. Instead of Sakura and Mayu with me, Mayu will have her own team."

"_Eh_?" Sakura exclaimed. "But why?"

"Simple. It will be even this way. Mayu has a partner who she can count on to support her," Yamato exclaimed. "This 'Nana-chan' must be big enough to carry Mayu's bow and arrows, yet stealthy enough to avoid detection."

"True dat," Mayu agreed. She saluted. "I understand and accept the changes."

"Yes. Gather your things. We need to get moving if we want to be there on time," Yamato ordered.

"Yes, captain!"

0-0

"_Well, that's about the creepiest thing I've ever heard,"_ Mayu thought. Five minutes later and she still couldn't get Yamato, trying to get Sasori's voice just right, out her head. _"Still, I should really focus now since everyone's so serious about this."_ Stifling a yawn, the kunoichi checked her surroundings yet again. She was hiding in the forest crouching down on a tree branch. Below her, Nana lied down, awaiting a command. From her position, Mayu could see her comrades. Her vantage point included being able to strike the spy with an arrow if they had decided the best option would be to run. The arrow wasn't intended to kill, though, merely slow the spy down. Her aim would be the leg or ankle. _"Wish I had a scope, though.__ Should have stolen it from Deidara before he escaped.__"_

By now, Yamato was at the foot of the bridge. Since the spy was already in the middle, the captain only increased his speed a bit. Finally, they met at the middle of the bridge. Mayu couldn't hear at all, but the two were obviously having a conversation. Then, the spy shifted his hood, revealing his identity. The kunoichi frowned, enhancing her vision a bit with chakra. Yakushi Kabuto. He was the spy? That was surprising. Her eyes narrowed. Too surprising. Suddenly a bad feeling bubbled up inside her. She couldn't explain it, but this situation seemed too strange.

When she was young, and ignorantly watched the show, _Naruto_, she hadn't liked Kabuto's character from the start. Something about him had made her lips form a snarl whenever he appeared on screen. When the truth came out about his affiliation with Orochimaru, she wasn't surprised. Now, five years later, she was having that same feeling. _"__Something's wrong. I don't like this."_ Mayu readied her bow and pulled an arrow out of her quiver. Sai had already confirmed that they were no others lying in wait with his jutsu. Akatsuki was not here to ambush them. That fact did not quell the bad feeling, though.

Mayu silently dropped down next to her feline partner. It would probably be best if she moved a bit closer. Not as close as the rest of her comrades, though. Something in her gut was telling her something unplanned was going to happen. That's all she needed. The kunoichi slowly moved through the forest. The image of the enemy, Kabuto, became clearer as she moved forward. The glasses-wearing ninja suddenly turned his back towards where he had come from. Mayu narrowed her eyes. The man had returned his focus to the disguised Yamato, thinking it wasn't anything important. The observer didn't like that either.

Shifting her gaze, the kunoichi squint her eyes. On the opposite side of the bridge, she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. No wonder Kabuto thought it was nothing. Still, it was bothering her that he had given up so quickly. At times like these, she wished she had made the switch with Hinata before coming on this mission. The Byakugan would have come in handle at this certain point in time. Then she saw it. A misplaced shadow at moved among the trees. _"__Shit… So someone had been telling him this whole time?" _Mayu thought. Then she frowned. Would Kabuto's character really be so careless? The girl was no fool. Though she disliked Kabuto, she couldn't deny that he was skilled. _"__This doesn't make sense… Could it be…? An ambush from the Sound?"_

It was plausible. Orochimaru must consider the organization, which he used to be a part of, a threat to whatever his ambitions were. Likewise, Akatsuki must view the Sanin as a troublesome person seeing as how Sasori planted a spy in the first place. It wouldn't be surprising to find that this was a plan to kill of a member of Akatsuki. Kabuto, on his own, wouldn't be enough. Mayu switched her eyes back to the bridge, and then placed loaded her weapon. Should she just kill Kabuto now? No. Naruto would freak out about it. There was a chance her little idea was wrong. Spy or not, Kabuto must have known the location of the blonde's precious Uchiha Sasuke.

Still… The girl pulled at the string of her bow. It appeared as though the shadow of the person no longer felt the need to hide. It disappeared. Then, on the bridge, right behind Kabuto, was Orochimaru. A large snake wrapped around his body. The snake had begun to do the same to Kabuto, but the glasses-wearing ninja quickly moved, jumping to Yamato's side. Orochimaru, himself, had come, did he? Mayu closed one eye, aiming at the Sanin. The Leaf village wouldn't mind if she took him out. After all, they would have his right-hand man. _"__My arms… They're trembling,"_ she thought. _"__Why?"_ What she felt for the snake-user was indifference, so why did her body react this way at seeing him? There was a time she had felt contempt for him, though. However, there was no reason to feel that anymore.

Without warning, Kabuto turned on Yamato, cutting the puppet's head off of her captain's disguise. She knew it. An ambush. Fortunately, her superior managed to get away by leaping up. Orochimaru then sent multiple snakes out. Still in mid air, Yamato couldn't dodge the attack and the snakes bit into him. Good thing it was only his wood clone. The snakes then reverted back to their pale master and the real captain landed a safe distance away from the two enemies. Then the three men began talking. No joke. Mayu shook her head. She could attack right now and they wouldn't see it coming due to their little chat. Suddenly, Yamato lifted his hand. Three fingers. Which meant that signal wasn't for her. Sai, Sakura, and Naruto appeared on the bridge in front of their captain.

Mayu pulled the string back a bit further, noticing a red chakra-like substance already beginning to form about Naruto. "You dumbass!" she nearly hissed. Getting angry already. He hadn't learned a thing. She supposed now was the time. The kunoichi opened her closed eye, and then fired her arrow. The projectile traveled far and fast. No one saw it until it landed perfectly in the belly of the enemy. Mayu smirked, watching the blood flow from the wound and mouth of the enemy. He certainly hadn't been expecting that. "Nana!"

After hopping on her partner's back, the feline dashed through the forest. It only took a few seconds for the two to reach the bridge. Nana slid to a halt behind her three comrades. All of them turned to look at her in surprise. Well, the enemies looked her way as well. "Wh-Who…?" Orochimaru, the one she had shot, asked. He seemed pissed. This thought almost made the kunoichi laugh in glee. She had actually wounded the snake bastard. _Whoo_!

All kidding aside, Mayu lost her grin. No doubt that a single arrow would be enough against a Sanin. Even now, he was pulling it out. "_Che_… Should have used an explosive note," she muttered. Exclaiming his name, Kabuto rushed over to aid his leader. Hands enveloped in chakra, he began to heal Orochimaru. "Definitely should've used the explosive note." She glanced behind her at her captain. "Sorry, Captain Yamato," she said. "I should have reacted sooner after I realized that it was only an attempt by these two to kill Sasori."

"So you realized… _huh_?" he murmured.

"_Hm_," Mayu nodded her head. "Too bad my arrow didn't really do anything, _ne_?"

"Who are you? Attacking Orochimaru-sama like that!" Kabuto shouted.

"… But I'm a ninja. 'Tis what I do," the kunoichi replied, shrugging her shoulders. Kabuto glared at her nonchalance attitude. He wasn't the only one.

"Hey! This is serious! We don't have time for your shenanigans!" Sakura nearly exclaimed. "With these two here that means we're close to Sasuke-kun!"

"Yes, yes, yes," Mayu stopped herself from rolling her eyes. The medic almost let out a growl.

"I almost can't believe your determination to retrieve Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru commented, causing the attention to shift back to him. "Though this sudden meeting makes me wonder who is stronger. Our Sasuke-kun or this jinchuuriki? What do you think, Kabuto?"

"He's not… yours…!" Naruto growled out. Suddenly, another tail started to form And then other! All in all, the total was now three! "Sasuke... doesn't belong to _you_!" Orochimaru only grinned at the sight. Naruto's teeth grew into fangs and his nails extended into claws. Red chakra spiraled around the container. The power was so great that it even heated the surrounding air. "Don't talk about him..." Naruto continued growling. "... as if he's some toy that you own! In my presence… don't you _dare_ talk about Sasuke like he's yours!"

_"What's... that chakra?"_ Sakura thought, watching Naruto and feeling suddenly afraid.

The power of the red chakra pushed Naruto's teammates back a little. _"The wind is burning..."_ Sai thought, holding an arm up to shield his face. Kabuto didn't seemed fazed by the incredible chakra emitting from Naruto. In fact, he only smirked. Nana backed away, whimpering and growling at the same time. The chakra scared her. Suddenly, the giant black leopard disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Mayu to land on her feet. Without warning, the wood under Naruto disintegrated, leaving stone. The metal bars and the rope holding the bridge snapped, causing the bridge to wobble. The harsh winds suddenly stopped, allowing the others to put their arms down. Mayu deadpanned, watching her as her teammate continued growling at the two enemies.

"Oh hell…" she muttered, annoyed. _"__I feel like I'm gonna be in pain soon__,__"_ she finished in thought.

0-0

Abruptly, the ninja came to a stop. For a moment, he only stared straight ahead. Then his eyebrows knitted together. Slowly, his gaze drifted down to the ground. More specifically, his focus was on his own foot. After a few seconds of staring, the ninja continued to move down the hallway towards his room. The reason he had stopped was due to the sharp pain he felt around his ankle. Even now, as he walked, the pain only increased. It was nothing he couldn't handle, though.

Barely making noise, the shinobi entered his room, closing the door behind him. Currently, he was the only one here, so being cautious didn't occur to him at the moment. Sitting on his bed, the ninja removed his shoe. Expectedly, he was bleeding. He narrowed his eyes, reaching for the thing that pierced his skin. Holding it in his hand, he stared down at the item. The small heart-shaped frame had broken. Right down the middle. "This is… inauspicious," he said to himself. Truly, he should have gotten rid of the frame years ago and only kept the picture, but he hadn't.

He slowly placed the broken pieces on his bed, as well as the glass. In the picture, there was a young girl grinning and posing for the camera. Pressed against her dark cheek was himself. A younger version of himself. Back when things were… better. She had been around to lift his spirits. It had been such a long time since he had seen her face. The shinobi didn't believe in superstitions and things like that, but having the frame break didn't make him feel better. Though, it could mean an encounter would happen very soon. Again, he didn't believe in that sort of thing, but… _"__Are you coming for me, Mayu, Naruto?"_

For the first time in a long time, Uchiha Sasuke cracked a smile.

0-0

Okay! The next chapter might be a bit hard to revise, seeing as how, in my head, it's completely different. Not to worry, though. Seeing your wonderful reviews are like fuel to me! I will get chapter 11 out as quickly as possible thanks to you, dear reviewers!


	11. Ignorance

Mayu couldn't say that she was very happy at the moment. Things had taken a turn for the worse after her teammate had unleashed the powerful chakra residing within him. The blond had lost control too quickly, and now he was… Blue eyes narrowed in the direction of the stupid shinobi known as Uzumaki Naruto. She grimaced and clenched her teeth as the medic of the team healed her. She supposed that she had been a bit stupid as well, which is why she was in her current position, listening to roars of her teammate.

For a moment, she shut her eyes. Naruto had gone ballistic at Orochimaru's taunts. Kabuto had believed he could take on the enraged jinchuuriki, but had been instantly knocked back. It was because of this that Sakura had been hit and knocked unconscious. The bridge had been destroyed. The medic had almost fallen to her death. Luckily, the captain had saved her, no thanks to Sai. The pale ninja had taken off, following Orochimaru and Naruto. Of course, a fight had ensued, ending with Naruto returning to his team's side, looking as though he was his Bijuu. That is when Mayu had the bright idea to try to stop Naruto's rampage by herself. How stupid she had been. Her teammate hadn't been able to recognize her, and had lashed out because of it. If it wasn't for Yamato, Mayu would be in critical condition, instead of just the graze to her side. Still, it hurt like hell.

"_Note to self… Four-tailed Naruto is equivalent to my surrogate mother when it's that time of the month,"_ Mayu thought, wincing. Sakura took her hand away from the injury. With Yamato's super cool jutsu, he was able to remove the chakra covering Naruto's body and return him to his natural form. The kunoichi hastily stood up as the captain carried her teammate over. His skin was completely red. By this time, Kabuto had long since disappeared. Good. He talked too much anyway. Mayu held her side as Sakura began to heal Naruto.

"His body is severely damaged," she stated. Both hands were pressed against the shinobi's chest. Green chakra emitted from them. Naruto groaned as the healing process took place. Sakura lowered her eyelids as she continued to heal him. Gradually, his skin began to return to normal. "Excuse me, but… what is he?" Yamato and Mayu exchanged a look. "I always knew that Naruto wasn't normal, but this… How come this happened?" Her two comrades were silent. "Answer me! I may not be on his team now, but I definitely was a part of Team 7 before! I deserve to know!"

"Sakura…" Yamato began. He sighed heavily. "Inside Naruto's body… lies a demon—the Nine-tailed fox demon." The medic gasped as the information reached her ears. She turned startled green eyes back to the person she was healing. "The Fourth did not succeed in killing the beast when it attacked our village fifteen years ago. Instead, he sealed the demon in a newborn child. That child was Naruto."

"He is the jailer of the beast," Mayu put in. "Don't you dare confuse that with him _being_ the beast."

"I… I wasn't!" Sakura exclaimed. She frowned, showing a fierce gaze to the kunoichi. Mayu returned the frown. "Anyway, Captain Yamato." She settled a softer gaze on the leader of the squad. "That jutsu you used… It can control that horrifying chakra? Could you teach it to anyone else? Since its Naruto, something like this is bound to happen again. His teammates need to know how to stop him."

"That is impossible," he replied. "I am the only one alive that is able to use that jutsu. I'm sure you've noticed, but wood element jutsu isn't a common thing. The First Hokage was known for it, though. It's my DNA that allows me to use the ability, though I'm not related to him. The ability to suppress the chakra of the Kyuubi by force… I'm the only one that can achieve that."

"I see…"

After another minute, Naruto released a groan. His skin had completely returned to normal. He sat up, appearing a bit dazed. Finally, he focused on the one that had healed him. "Sa… Sakura-chan…?" he murmured. "What happened? The last thing I remember is… attacking Orochimaru." A hand appeared in front of his face. "M-Mayu…?" The blond took her hand and was lifted off the ground. Unceremoniously, he was whacked upside the head. "_Ugh_…! Mayu, what the hell was that for?"

"How many times do I have to tell you to keep your anger in check, _huh_?" The shout from the kunoichi cause the blonde's body to freeze. "Because of you, Sakura and I could have _died_!"

"Wh-What?" Naruto stammered out.

"Mayu!" Sakura tried to get the kunoichi to stop. However, the dark-haired girl didn't listen. She pointed a finger at the destroyed bridge. Slowly, Naruto examined the damaged, and then looked back to Mayu for an explanation.

"_You_ did that! Sakura almost fell down because you can't control your anger! Not only that, but you caused so much destruction while you were fighting Orochimaru!" the kunoichi went on. "You can't remember anything, can you? While you were 'out,' you even attacked _me_! Your own teammate!" Naruto's lips parted in shocked. He blinked several times before it dawned on him. The shinobi bowed his head, ashamed. It had happened again. "How are you going to save _anyone_ in that state, _huh_? Idiot!"

"Mayu, quit it!" Sakura demanded. Again, her attempts to defuse the situation were ignored. The kunoichi walked forward, and then clamped a hand down on Naruto's shoulder.

"What's the point in having all that power if you can't control it?" she asked. Hesitantly, the blond looked up to meet her gaze. "Naruto…" Her expression softened. "You also hurt yourself by going into a rage. It took such a long time to heal you. Do you realize how scared I was?"

"Mayu…" Well, now he just felt horribly guilty. Even more so when his teammate hugged him. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize! Just… be careful, okay? I know you're emotional about this mission, but you don't have to become so angry at the drop of a coin," Mayu told him.

"_Hm_…" Naruto nodded his head and returned the hug. Finally, the kunoichi released him. "Still, sorry about that. I'll try to control myself in the future."

"_What type of relationship…?"_ Sakura thought. Then she glanced around, observing her surroundings. "Wait… Where's Sai?" she asked out loud.

0-0

After quite some time, due to the team having to stop because of Mayu's injury, the four ninja had reached Orochimaru's hideout. They were currently in a tunnel. However, they had come across a dead in. Yamato turned to the younger ninja, placing his hand on the obstacle in front of them. "Just like I thought," he remarked. "Their hideout is surrounded by rock." Naruto stated that he could easily bust through with his Rasengan. Sakura was quick to dismiss that idea since it would cause too much noise. "Don't worry. I'll still get in," Yamato went on. His hand transformed into wood and pressed against the rock. "For this type of hard rock… if you apply just a bit of force to a small crack…" Surprisingly, his transformed hand made an opening with little to no noise. He went through the opening first, and then Sakura. Naruto and Mayu followed after.

"Well, at least the infiltration was successful," Sakura commented, glancing around the area. The interior of the hideout were filled with corridors, which were dimly lit by candlelight.

"We'll look for Sai first," Yamato stated. After a brief moment of silence, the captain spoke again. "He's this way." His three subordinates nodded and followed after their leader. Mayu couldn't help the frown that crossed her face. Sai had abandoned Team 7 in favor of speaking with Orochimaru. The others seemed to be convinced that he was a traitor because of his actions. Labeling him as a traitor seemed to be the obvious choice—the only choice. However, something was bugging Mayu. Before they had found the location of the hideout, she had picked up an item belonging to Sai. The pale ninja must have dropped it without realizing. When the team had stopped to rest, Mayu, bored, had looked at the picture book. It might not have seemed relevant to the others, but there was something about it. Why would Sai, self-proclaimed emotionless person, hold onto something sentimental?

It seemed as though Sai had a strong bond with his brother, she had guessed. Also, there was the fact that Sai had called Uchiha Sasuke a traitor. Why would he turn around and become the traitor himself? He could have been just playing a role, but that seemed unlikely. A guy like him wouldn't change sides so abruptly. This had to be planned from the start. But by Sai himself…? Mayu narrowed her eyes as Yamato stopped in front of a door. The older ninja extended his index finger. It shifted into wood. He stuck his finger in the keyhole. After a few seconds, the lock was turned. Yamato pushed open the door. "So you were here?" The captain stepped into the room with the others trailing behind him.

Sai turned towards the group and smiled. "Nothing less from the Hokage's personal ANBU," he remarked. "I see that the corpse didn't fool you one bit."

"You!" Naruto shouted. He, of course, grabbed Sai's shirt, almost lifting his fellow ninja off the ground. "Why did you betray us?"

"Keep quiet," he replied. "It'll mean trouble if you keep shouting."

"You bastard!"

"Naruto!" Sakura scolded. The blond roughly released Sai with an irritated scoff.

"Since we've caught you like this," Mayu began, stepping forward. She stood right in front of the pale shinobi. "You should tell us what this is all about. Are you following someone else's orders—someone from the Leaf village?"

"Danzo…?" Yamato asked. "He's plotting with Orochimaru, and you were chosen as the go-between, right? A new 'Crush the Leaf' plan, is it?" For awhile, Sai did not speak. Then, he smiled. The pale ninja was about to give an explanation, but Naruto cut him off, telling him that they all knew he was lying and the fake smile wouldn't work.

"I suppose since I've been discovered that my mission is a failure," Sai spoke again. "I can't finish you all off by myself. And since you've figured out this much, there's no point in lying." He finally lost his false smile. "Just as you said, we are going to destroy the Leaf village as it exists today." From there, he went into detail of exactly what his mission was. He was to inform Orochimaru, and also act as a spy for Danzo. He told them that Sai was not his real name and that he was merely following orders. As long as the mission is successful, why should he be concerned with the outcome? To him, he was nothing more than Danzo's tool.

"I see," Mayu said. She reached behind her and dug around in her back pouch. She pulled Sai's picture book out and showed it to the pale shinobi. It was slight, but he did react to seeing the book. "Then, how about I just destroy this thing? Tools don't have brothers. It is your brother, right? Tools—they certainly don't hold on to useless things like its precious, right? In that case, burning it shouldn't be a problem. I know a jutsu that will completely remove its existence. It would only take a second. Should I show off my fire jutsu?"

"NO!"

To everyone's surprise, Sai had shouted and tried to grab the book. Mayu held it out of his reach, though. "_Eh_…? Did the tool just get a bit angry? You _felt_, didn't you?" she questioned with a smirk. Sai's eyes widen, and then his arm returned to his side. "You don't want me to destroy this because it is the physical proof that you shared a bond with your brother, right?"

"Bond…?" Sai repeated.

"Of course," Mayu replied with a nod. "Naruto and I… We know how you feel for we lost our 'brothers' too, and the only thing we have left of that bond is a picture—just like you. I'm sure that if someone were to threaten our pictures, we would react in the same manner you did." Behind her, Naruto lowered his head. Finally, the kunoichi put her arm down. Her gaze lowered, focusing on the picture book. "Sasuke is… Itachi is… Your brother is…" She held the book out to Sai. "No matter the circumstance, they are the bonds they we can't forget—that we can't let go of. Sai-chan…" His eyes shifted from the book to her. "I don't care what your mission is, but don't you dare call yourself a tool in front of me again. Got it?" Sai only stared, lips parted. "I said do you _got_ it?" She waved the book at him. The pale ninja grasped the picture book, prompting Mayu to release it.

"_Hm_," Sai nodded his head.

"Good," the kunoichi grinned, taking another step towards Sai. She leaned forward and kissed his nose. "You need some new bonds anyway, Sai-chan."

"Mayu! What the hell are you doing?" both Naruto and Sakura exclaimed in sync. Sai blinked, and then lightly touched the tip of his nose. Yamato sighed.

0-0

"Tough break, Sai. You'll have to stay here while my clone watches you," the captain of the squad stated. He, as well as the others, surrounded the restrained ninja. Sai sat on the ground with his arms bound to his sides. He didn't speak. The team was currently outside the hideout, preparing to reenter after leaving Sai here. The location was deemed safe enough. "We'll come back for you, of course." Naruto suddenly hit his fist against his own palm.

"Alright! Let's finish this up and bring Sasuke home!" he loudly exclaimed.

"You should give that up," Sai advised. With a glared, Naruto turned his focus back on the pale ninja. "I have met with Sasuke-kun. He is always with Orochimaru. In other words, you'd have to fight him again. If you pursue him, you will be ripped apart and used for experiments. Also, it was obvious to me. Sasuke-kun no longer cares about you. Mayu-san has stated that you feel as though Sasuke-kun is your brother. However, it is clear that he doesn't feel the same. You go so far for him, even at the risk of being used by Orochimaru. Why?"

"… You know," Naruto started. "Back in the day, I used to hate Sasuke." He said this with a smile. "But the time we all spent together was the most fun I had ever had. He… acknowledged me more than anyone else. He's my friend—someone I was finally able to form a bond with. Mayu, Hinata, Sakura-chan… It was through him that I gained other friendships. So I'm going to bring him back. You don't understand, but Sasuke needs to be saved. And no matter what Orochimaru may do, I'm _going_ to bring my best friend home."

"Well then…" Yamato broke the silence that followed. "I'll make-"

"Everyone, get back!" Mayu suddenly shouted, jumping away. As ordered, the others leapt away as well. Less than a split second later, multiple kunai embedded into the ground where they once stood. Sai momentarily appeared shocked by the purple-clad ninja's arrival. The man stood in front of him. Mayu scowled, suddenly irritated. "I thought I smelled something rancid. Kabuto." He smirked and mockingly bowed. Ignoring the glares, Kabuto glanced back at Sai.

"Judging from the situation, I suppose that means you were captured," he said. The wood restraining Sai was quickly cut by Kabuto. He had used his chakra scalpel. Naruto growled the glasses-wearing man's name though clenched teeth. "Since it doesn't seem you've betrayed us… I'll trust you… for now." Sai stood up as Kabuto returned his attention to the others. "You're obstinate, I'll give you that. Going after a person who doesn't want to be bothered by you is foolish, Naruto-kun. I pity you. Sasuke-kun is not the same." Kabuto smirked. "People change over time, you know."

Without warning, Sai twisted Kabuto's wrist, and then slammed him against the ground. Holding his arm away from the enemy's body, the pale ninja stepped on the bespectacled man's back. Kabuto appeared as stunned as his enemies. "People change," Sai repeated. "You say that, but there are also things that don't change."

"Sai-chan…!" Mayu blinked once, and then grinned.

"Bonds. By just observing Naruto-kun and Mayu-san—watching them interact, watching them defend and help one another—I can see that their bond is strong," Sai continued. "I want to see the bond between Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun. Since Naruto-kun is so determined, would it be stronger—their bond?"

"Sai," Naruto let a tiny smile cross his face.

"Hey, hold him like that," Yamato walked forward. Wood quickly wrapped around Kabuto's body. Naruto, Sakura, and Mayu walked over as well. Sai glanced in their direction.

"I want to see more of your interactions," he stated. "Maybe by watching you, I might be able to remember…" Kabuto chuckled.

"How very amusing…" he muttered. "You don't know the _real_ Sasuke-kun. It's too funny not to laugh." To emphasize his point, Kabuto laughed again. The smirk remained on his face even after his chuckles subsided. "Just so you can see for yourself, I'll give you some information. Sasuke-kun, by now, is finished training and is resting in his room. There are a large number of rooms, though, strewn throughout the lair. If you end up looking in each as you go, you might find him." Apparently, Kabuto could not stop his fit of giggles. "Careful, though… You might disturb the wrong bush and have a snake-" A kick to the face was successful in not only cutting off Kabuto's sentence, but it also knocked him unconscious.

"Ma-Mayu…!" Sakura shouted.

"I'm sorry, but all I heard was 'Kick me, Mayu! Come on, hit me! Gosh, I just want to take a hard one to the face!' Seriously, he wasn't helping," Mayu crossed her arms. "Can we _go _now?" Her comrades merely stared at her. "What?" she asked, looking perplexed.

0-0

"We'll split into three teams to search for Sasuke," Yamato stated once they were deep inside the hideout. "Sai and Naruto. Sakura and I. Mayu and her summon will also form a team." The dark-haired girl nodded and quickly summoned her feline partner. She hopped off of Nana's back as the captain held out his palm. There were two seed-like items for all to see. "It's _imperative_ that you take one _now_, Mayu. You, too, Sai." The kunoichi grimaced and rolled her eyes before snatching the seed from her captain's hand. She made a bit of a fuss about eating one before they entered the lair the first time when Sai wasn't there with them. She couldn't help it. One of his clones had transformed into the seed. What was she _supposed_ to think after witnessing something like that?

Frowning, the kunoichi swallowed. Sai took one as well as Yamato explained that it was his way of tracking his subordinates. All they needed to do was mold their chakra and his team would come running. After nodding in understanding, the teams set out. While Yamato and Sakura headed one way, Naruto and Sai went the other way, leaving Mayu and Nana. The kunoichi sighed as she scratched her feline partner under the chin. "I suppose we should head out, too, Nana." The black leopard snorted, and then prodded her mistress at her stomach, near her torn fabric and marred bruised flesh. "_Ah_, you noticed, did you? Don't worry, I'm fine. Let's go, Nana. Stealth is what we're going with."

The kunoichi took off down the same hallway as Naruto and Sai. Her nose twitched as she ran. The two shinobi had gone right once the path split. She would go left in that case. Sooner or later, one of the teams would come across either Sasuke or Orochimaru. Hopefully, the others weren't thinking of only Sasuke and just barging into random rooms. Who was she kidding? Of course they were thinking of only the Uchiha and not his mentor. With any luck, they wouldn't come across the snake Sanin in their frantic search.

After about twenty minutes, Mayu had become annoyed. As terrifying as it was to open each door, it was taking way too long to come across someone. At the moment, the kunoichi wanted nothing more than to punch something. "Enough already! Why can't the bastard come to _me_?" Another door was slammed shut in her frustration. It was the last door on this floor, but Mayu was sure there were several more floors. She nearly stomped down the stairs with her arms crossed under her chest. "Don't look at me like that, Nana! This really is… _troublesome_! The first chance I get, I'm going to make sure he's in pure _agony_—making me search for him like this!"

Mayu halted once she reached the bottom of the steps. This floor was different from the others. For one, the hallway was lit by artificial light, giving the dark hall a hint of blue. Two, there was only one door, and it was located at the end of the corridor. Her brow knitted. Was this the right place? From the show, she remembered that Uchiha Sasuke tended to isolate himself. Slowly, she walked forward. It would be easier for everyone if she had found him first. Otherwise, a fight would break out. With her abilities, that most likely wouldn't happen.

Finally, she reached the door. She turned the knob as silently as she could before pushing the door open. The room was small and lit in the same fashion as the hallway. The kunoichi stepped further into the room, examining its contents. Vials, test tubes, and other things that a lab would have were in plain sight. _"So this is a lab?"_ she thought. Mayu ventured further, coming across the last desk. Unlike the others, it was completely bare. However, it did have drawers. Upon opening them, she discovered notepads and glass vials filled with yellow liquid. There was also dark purple liquid as well. She picked up a vial and thoroughly looked at it. It wasn't just a vial, it was an injection type. The top could be taken off, which would reveal the needle. The others were like that as well.

The kunoichi couldn't begin to imagine what type of injections these were. However, someone in the Leaf could possibly know. She slipped two of each—purple and yellow—into her back pouch. Then she eyed the notepads. Perhaps something inside could give some type of clue. She picked the first one up and opened it. Her eyes scanned over the words. A gasp escaped her lips once she realized exactly what she was reading. "Nana, I found the jackpot!" Mayu exclaimed. The large feline snorted again. She had been guarding the door. _"But… I wonder why… Something like this would normally be under tight security."_ Hurriedly, she picked up the rest of the small notepads before stuffing them into her back pouch. They would definitely come in handy. Mayu turned back and headed for the door, after she closed the drawers back. Since it was only three of them, and the chance of finding one of their hideouts is slim, Orochimaru probably believe that security wasn't needed.

Suddenly, the entire place shook to the point that Mayu almost fell. It continued for a few moments before coming to an end. An earthquake…? The kunoichi narrowed her eyes. Not likely. The others must have found one of the enemies. "Nana!" Mayu jumped on her partner's back. "We're tracking Yamato! Now!" The black leopard roared in incompliance, and then dashed away, heading for the stairs. Within a few minutes, because of Nana's speed, the two were able to find the rest of the team, minus Sai. They were heading in the direction the blast came from, according to the captain. As they ran, Yamato explained the situation. It had been Sai's mission to kill Sasuke all along. Everything else he had mentioned was a ploy for both Orochimaru and the team. Afterwards, the group traveled in silence for the most part. Only the sounds of their shoes hitting the floor were heard. Racing though the many passages and feeling suddenly anxious, Mayu's grip on her partner tightened.

At last, Yamato came to a stop, causing the others to do the same. At the end of the passageway, there was a bright light. From the looks of it, it came from outside. Without warning, Sakura took off towards the end. Yamato called out to her, but she did not stop. Mayu enhanced her vision with a bit of chakra. _"I see now…"_ she thought. Sakura had spotted Sai. _"She must still feel for Sasuke and is angry that her supposed comrade is trying to kill her crush." _With a mental sigh, the kunoichi frowned. _"To think I thought she had grown out of it."_ She watched as the pink-haired medic yelled at Sai. However, she abruptly stopped for some reason. Now the both of them were staring up. "I can't hear…" Mayu muttered.

Then Naruto took off without a word. He tripped and fell, but hastily began to run again. Once he had reached Sakura and Sai, he, too, had become frozen and looking up as well. "I see…" Yamato mumbled. "They found him. Uchiha Sasuke." His dark eyes glanced in Mayu's direction. "Mayu, I'm sure those two had lost their reason by now."

"That's what it looks like."

"Can I count on you?"

"Of course, captain!"

"Alright. I'm going."

She watched the leader run forward, only to stop just before he stepped out into the light. She sighed heavily. If this was anything like part one then there was definitely going to be long conversation instead of fighting right off the bat. "Nana-chan…" The corner of her lips twitched. "You can go as slow as you want to." The large cat craned its neck to look incredulous at the rider. "No, no," she reassured, waving her hand back and forth in front of her face. "No one is gonna be in danger this soon." Nana snorted lightly, and then walked forward, towards the gaping hole. _"But I wonder…"_ Mayu thought. _"Has he gotten worse? Will words not reach him at this point no matter what?"_ If that was the case, then Naruto and Sakura would just have to accept the fact that Uchiha would have to be put down. Most likely, they wouldn't be the ones who would deal the finishing blow because of their attachment.

Mayu, though, had no such attachment.

The kunoichi silently slipped off her partner's back after instructing the feline to stop and remain in the shadows. Mayu pressed her back against the wall, and then peeked from around the corner. There he was. Uchiha Sasuke. He was standing at the edge of the large crater. Had he been the one to make it? She didn't think Sai had destructive power. Mayu returned her back against the wall. She sighed inaudibly. This could be tougher than she thought. In order for this to work, she would need full concentration and the enemy focusing solely on her. She had practiced with animals, as she was instructed to do, but this was a human. It could prove to be tougher than what she was expecting. A smirk touched her face. Oh well. There were few things she feared. Fighting was not one of them.

They were still talking. Well, Sasuke was talking—something about how much he hated his brother. No surprise there. Mayu pushed herself from the wall. No better time to make her entrance. Blue eyes glanced at the feline before stepping out into the light. The sun's rays messed with her eyes quite a bit. She had stayed in the dark for too long and now she was nearly blinded. Finally, her vision adjusted to the natural light and her gaze settled on the figure at the top of the crater. He seemed to regard her with mild curiosity. Even someone as impassive as he would be taken aback at the sight of her skin. Probably. She was only guessing. From this vantage point, Mayu could see that he had grown taller. He wore a white long-sleeved shirt, which was open at the torso. Dark blue pants with a blue cloth hanging from halfway up his stomach to his knees is what covered his lower half. He also wore a purple rope belt around his waist, tied in a bow. That is where he carried a sword.

"Ugly," she said. Everyone sharply turned their heads towards her. "What an ugly ass outfit. He looks like he has _man boobs_."

"Hey! Don't talk about Sasuke-kun like that!" Sakura shouted. Mayu had only glanced at the pink-haired medic. It was a quick glance, too. But suddenly he was in front of her. His feet touched the ground, barely making a sound. With him being so close, she realized that he was definitely taller. Mayu, herself, was 162 centimeters. He appeared to be taller than Naruto, so maybe Sasuke had grown to 167 centimeters? Well, that didn't matter.

"_Light. Fast. Swordsman,"_ Mayu thought. _"A short-ranged __fighter, then…?"_

"You…" He spoke.

"Uchiha Sasuke…" For some reason, her insides felt as though they were trembling. Could it be that she was excited to fight an opponent such as this. His dark eyes narrowed. His lips moved again, wanting to know her identity. "Me?" Mayu smirked. "I am Haruno Sakura's replacement on Team Kakashi. I am your transporter. I hope you're prepared. You're coming back to the Leaf, Sasuke." He looked bored with her statements. "Underestimate me, and you won't like the outcome."

"Is that so…?" Sasuke questioned. "Then… Amuse me, _replacement_."

0-0


	12. Shut It Up

"_Oh_? Then… Let me amuse you until you scream!"

Odd. Because of her words, it felt as though his heart had skipped a beat. It was strange. He knew the implication of her words, yet his body trembled with unexplained exhilaration. Her next action brought him back to reality. Though he had provoked her, it came as a bit of a shock to Sasuke when the Leaf kunoichi brought up her left knee. He reacted quickly, bringing up his right arm to block her kick, which had been aiming for his neck. His fingers had wrapped around her covered boot. Apparently, though, that was all the leverage she needed. The kunoichi lifted her other leg to kick the other side of his neck. It was predictable, though. With his other hand, he grabbed onto her right ankle. Because of his actions, she only moved her upper body towards him. She grabbed onto his hair and head butted him.

Seriously.

Disoriented by the pain, Sasuke released the kunoichi. She crossed her legs behind his head, and then jerked her body back. Her movement caused the Uchiha to be pulled forward. While she landed on her hands, his head came crashing down. The collective gasps from Naruto and Sakura caused him to feel even more embarrassed. The dark kunoichi unwrapped her legs, and then, whilst in her hand stand, she kicked him hard in the back. Sasuke managed to recover easily enough, but not before rolling on the ground a few times.

He slid back, using his right hand to stop himself. His left hand gripped the hilt of his sword. Though she was a Leaf kunoichi, she was beginning to become annoying. In case unfortunate eyes were watching, he was going to fight with the Leaf ninja, almost completely overpowering them. Then, of course, Naruto would discover his second wind, as he always did, and pull off an incredible jutsu. He would endure it, and then pretend to be unconscious. That was the plan he had been mind whenever he did meet up with Naruto again. But this girl… She was making a fool out of him.

Even now, she was giving such a smug expression. She stood to her full height and pointed a finger at him. Then she turned her hand, moving that finger back and forth, beckoning him to come to her. Sasuke frowned and slowly stood up. Leaf ninja or not, he wouldn't feel too bad if he roughed her up a bit. Even if she was ignorant of the situation, he couldn't let her get away with treating him like an average ninja. Then again, he _had_ underestimated her. Still…

The frown left his face, leaving an apathetic expression. He removed his hand from the hilt of his sword. That was the only warning she received. He tackled her, slamming her back against a destroyed wall. The impact of her body caused rubble and debris to fall around them, gathering a large dust cloud. Sasuke frowned again. What a weird person this was. Before her back came into contact with the wall, she had wrapped her arms and legs around his body. Also, her head moved next to his. Because of that, her body received minimum damage. "Oi…" The Uchiha took this time to warn her. The smokescreen he had caused was good cover. "Stand down or you'll get hurt, _replacement_." She lifted her chin from his shoulder, tilting her mouth towards his ear. Sasuke could practically feel her small grin.

"Sorry, Uchiha Sasuke…" she whispered. "You've managed to wound my pride. Can't have that. You understand?" He supposed that he had to agree with that. The kunoichi's legs slipped from his body. "Should we continue now?"

"What can you do in your position?" Sasuke smirked. "I literally have you against the wall."

"True, I am in a tight spot," she agreed. "But there's something that I'd like to call… Distraction, bitch!" That's what she said before she bit down on his earlobe. Sasuke's eyes widen as a weird sensation traveled throughout his body. He stumbled back as the Leaf kunoichi released him. He then jumped away, putting distance in between them. Sasuke tried hard not to cover his ear. He could not stop the shudder, though.

"S-Sasuke!" Naruto tried to get his attention. The Uchiha merely glanced at him. Well, actually it was more like a glare. The blonde's shoulders slumped, averting his gaze to the ground. "But… I have… something." Sasuke turned back to where he had left the kunoichi. The smoke had finally cleared, but he could not see her.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Great. Sakura was running towards him. He didn't feel like messing around with her. However, when the pink-haired girl suddenly stopped, she had his full attention. She slid back her sleeve, revealing a senbon launcher. Almost glaring, Sakura pulled back the wires of her hidden weapon. Sasuke's lip twitched as his eyes shifted to red. His former teammate released her hold on the wires, causing the sharp projectiles to speed in his direction. However, he could clearly see the senbon with the use of his Sharingan. He could easily block or dodge them. But when he reached down to pull out his sword, Sasuke was quite surprised to find that it was gone.

"_Shit."_ Narrowing his eyes, the Uchiha jumped up, out of the crater, to avoid the long-ranged attack from his former teammate. Annoyed, he stared down into the large hole he had created. They were all accounted for. Sakura, Naruto, the pale one, and the older one. His tongue glided over his front teeth. That girl was missing, though. Where was she? More importantly, where was his goddamn sword? He definitely had it before… _"That bitch…!"_

"Surprised by my ability?" Once again, Sasuke was in for a surprise. Her voice was so close. She was definitely right behind him. However, he could not _sense_ her. Knowing she was there, and yet he was unable to sense her. That was quite an incredible feat, he had to admit. So this was her ability, huh? As if reading his mind, the kunoichi continued. "To be completely undetectable is something only my clan can do. I could be a professional thief, _ne_? It's too bad I like fighting, though. Have you realized I've taken something of yours?"

"_Ah_…" Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment. Despite the circumstance, he couldn't help but to think that the girl had a useful ability. Clan, huh…? He hadn't heard her name yet. The Uchiha opened his eyes, glancing back at the girl. To his chagrin, his own weapon was pointed at his back. "Well… I suppose I have mistakenly wounded your pride."

"Indeed. Now, are you going to come quietly, Uchiha Sasuke, or will I have to make you scream for reals?" He didn't answer. Instead, he used his speed to get behind her. A sharp gasp came from her lips. Before she could move, though, he had already grabbed a hold of her. His right hand gripped the top of her right hand, which held his sword. His left hand had grabbed her left wrist. She struggled a bit, but eventually stopped. He was stronger than her. "So… it's true what I found…? This isn't your capabilities, are they? You're using drugs to achieve this giant boost, aren't you? Isn't that a bit pathetic, Uchiha Sasuke—relying on something else to be stronger?"

"Shut up," he told her. "The only reason I haven't killed you is because you remind me of someone… among other things." It was true. He wouldn't—couldn't kill her because she was a ninja of the Leaf village. The Fifth wouldn't take it too lightly if she found out about the death of one of her subordinates by her spy's hand. But also her dark skin and blue eyes reminded him greatly of _her_. However, that was where the resemblance ended. Even after nearly three years, Hyuga Hinata wouldn't look like this. "But I'm not going to let you slide either."

"_Ooh_, I scared," came her sarcastic response.

"You should be." It was then that he released his Chidori from his body. Because she was in such close proximity, the kunoichi was overwhelmed with his defense. It wasn't as strong as it could be, but it still got the job done. Her body wildly convulsed before going limp. She fell over, body still twitching from the effects of his Chidori Stream. Sasuke dropped down, removing the sword from her hand. He looked around for a moment before discovering the sheath.

"SASUKE!" Naruto shouted at him. Mentally, the Uchiha scowled. He would apologize later… Maybe. Not likely, though._"This… is really… bad…" _Naruto thought, restraining himself from biting his nails. His blue eyes darted around. Honestly, this whole time, he could not tell whether his best friend was acting or not. Of course, he believed in Sasuke, but… his actions and words were a bit… iffy. On top of that, he was treating Mayu as though he didn't realize who she was. Then again… Fighting had been their way of flirting with each other. Naruto wasn't that stupid. He had realized what the two were doing all those years ago.

The Uchiha suddenly jumped down into the crater again. This time, he was in front of Naruto. He rested his forearm against the blonde's shoulder. His gaze wasn't focused on his friend, though. He stared beyond, frowning. "You're still chasing me, huh? Don't you have other things to worry about?"

"Actually… Those other things to worry about involve you, too," Naruto replied. "Things aren't so good on this side." Sasuke narrowed his eyes. He didn't like the sound of that. "If you think things are alright after you left… That's not right."

"You-"

"_AH_! Son of a bitch!" All heads turned in the direction of the annoyed shout. The kunoichi was on her hands and knees, glaring down at Sasuke. The Uchiha almost scowled. She should have been out for, at least, two minutes. Perhaps he used too little chakra. "Who do you think you are—Pikachu? Shocking me like that!" At her irritated and accusing words, Sasuke sharply turned to face her. The kunoichi stood up, rubbing her head.

"Pika… chu…?" Sasuke repeated. His lips parted as he continued to stare. He had heard this word only once before.

_So you know the Chidori now, huh? So I can call you Pikachu, right?_

_I don't know what this Pikachu is, but call me that again and I _will_ hurt you__._

_Bird brain it is…_

"_Mayu…?"_ Sasuke thought. _"Is this you? Really you?"_

A punch to the face was his answer. The Uchiha recovered before he could completely fall over and shot his leg out, kicking the kunoichi away from him. Even though his foot caught her jaw, she smirked. This was definitely Ishikari Mayu. But her body… How did she-? Sasuke didn't have much time to ponder that because the kunoichi rushed at him again. He dodged her right hook, and then the follow up left uppercut. She twirled on the ball of her right foot and kicked him with her right. The top of her boot smashed against his cheek, sending the Uchiha soaring. Mayu followed after him, stomping down on his airborne body. The ground crumbled upon the impact of their bodies.

The others watched the two fighters roll around on the ground, only to stand and exchange punches and kicks. Most of their mouths were open. Sai blinked, noticing the grin on his comrade's face. The smirk on Uchiha Sasuke's face was noticed as well. His dark eyes turned to Naruto. "Should… Should we help her?" he questioned. The blond opened his mouth, glanced at Sai, and then turned his attention back to the two.

"No… They'll stop flirt—I mean, fighting eventually," Naruto murmured. However, Sakura heard his slip up. An incredulous expression crossed her face as she refocused her attention back to the two ninja.

"_They're flirting?"_ She could barely contain her irritation.

Finally, Sasuke and Mayu jumped away from each other. The kunoichi never took her eyes off him as she panted. Her opponent didn't even appear tired. That almost pissed her off. However, she knew the reason for it. Still, his smirk pissed her off a bit even if he was bleeding. Mayu inhaled deeply. She wasn't in too good condition either. _"Not yet,"_ she thought. She would only use that as a last resort. Since she hadn't used too much chakra, she wouldn't have to use it this soon. _"Should I level the playing field then?" _The kunoichi stared into his red eyes. But Sasuke was looking elsewhere. Naruto. He was looking at Naruto. Why? _"Let's see…__ with my Subconscious Transfer Jutsu.__"_

0-0

"Okay, Naruto, tell me what's going on."

The blond stared open-mouth at the new arrival for a moment. Then his eyes slid over to the large cage, which kept his demon at bay most of the time. The distance between himself and the cage had been previously occupied by the malevolent chakra, belonging to his inner beast. However, Sasuke had appeared out of nowhere and banished the chakra back into the cage, interrupting whatever his beast was about to say. A blond eyebrow twitched. "Shouldn't I be the one saying that?" Naruto asked, turning his attention back to Sasuke. "How did you get into my head? How did you get so much stronger? And how the hell could you have done that to a demon?"

"That's not important," Sasuke stated, causing his friend to scowl. "Answer me, Naruto. What did you mean when you said things aren't good on your end? Did something happen?"

"_Er_…" Naruto appeared hesitant on answer. "Something…" He rubbed the back of his head, looking elsewhere. Sasuke glared. "Well, there's good news. Mayu discovered her connection to the Ishikari clan. She even found the link between the Uchiha and the Ishikari clan like you wanted."

"And the bad news?"

"Which one…?"

"What?"

The blond pressed his lips into a thin line. It was a relief to know that Sasuke still had the plan in mind. But the news that Naruto dreaded to give—that was another story entirely. More than likely, his best friend was going to explode. In his own little way. It would be awful. That is why Naruto was feeling reluctant on telling Sasuke about the little amnesia problem. Actually, it was a big amnesia problem. He, himself, hadn't liked the thought of Mayu losing her memories. Sasuke was definitely going to hate it. Naruto had a feeling that he would somehow be blamed. Perhaps it would be a good idea to beat around the bush and take this as slow as possible.

"_Ah_, so this is where you were?" A familiar voice caused both shinobi to sharply turn their heads towards the opposite side of the cage. Blue eyes narrowed. The kunoichi of Team 7 walked forward. She stopped a few meters away. Her arms were crossed over her chest. "Naruto." The blond flinched when her eyes cut to him. "Sasuke." The red-eyed shinobi remained stoic, though he was surprised to see her here. "Something isn't right with this situation. Wouldn't you agree?" Mayu asked. "When I came here, I wasn't expecting you two to be having a _calm_ conversation.

"Don't lump me in with him," Sasuke said. "Naruto gets angry all by himself."

"HEY!"

"**Shut up. All of you are annoying**." Because of the deep, gruff voice, the ninja shifted their eyes away from one another. Instead, all eyes were on the giant iron cage. Mayu's eyes widened. She hadn't noticed it before. So this wasn't Naruto's head? This was the place where the Nine-tailed beast was sealed. "**I don't like any of you—especially the Uchiha. Get out**." The big red eyes of the demon came from the darkness of the cage, followed by the giant sharp-gleaming teeth.

"Kyu-Kyuubi-sama…" Mayu murmured, taking a step back. The snout moved. It was more like a twitch. For a moment, the glowing red eyes disappeared as if the demon had closed his eyes.

"**I know this scent… You are Ishikari, aren't you? That would explain how you're here**."

The kunoichi swallowed hard. The presence of the Kyuubi was, indeed, frightening. However, she didn't feel anything other than irritation. She couldn't even feel much of his chakra at the moment. She closed her eyes, frowning. Really, she shouldn't feel this way. After all, the demon was trapped, unable to get out. Also, there was the added insurance of being able to alter things. With a nod, Mayu opened her eyes again. "Kyuubi-sama… I apologize for intruding in this domain. But my fight was interrupted due to the fact that my opponent became distracted." A deep chuckle came from the cage. Then the eyes and teeth completely disappeared. His voice, though, echoed throughout the area.

"**Intruding? I have been locked in this place for nearly sixteen years with absolutely nothing to do. Intrude my furry, red, ass!**"

All ninja present stared at the cage with looks of incredulity passed their faces. Did the great Nine-tailed Fox just say what they thought he just said? Suddenly, Sasuke became annoyed. His eyes narrowed at the cage, though he could not see the powerful demon. "_Oi_… Didn't I just get rid of you? How are you back?" he questioned.

"**A mere human cannot hope to completely get rid of me—even with chakra as strong as yours**."

"That was a _major_ diss," Mayu commented, causing the Uchiha to glare at her. She didn't take her eyes off the cage. "Kyuubi-sama-"

"**Do not brand me with that pathetic human name! I am not a pet!**" A large gust of wind, along with a roar, came from the cage, causing Naruto and Mayu to shield their faces. Sasuke merely turned away, watching the cage from the corner of his eye. The kunoichi coughed out after the wind subsided. Her lip twitched in annoyance. "_**Hm**_**… You're becoming angry.**** Tell me, are you upset, Ishikari?**"

"You don't scare me right now, you overgrown ball of fur!" Mayu bit out. "This might be your domain, but as a Master Ishikari, this is _my_ _world_ now!" Sasuke turned his eyes towards the kunoichi. He could not figure out what she meant when she said that. "Don't _test_ me!"

"_**Teh**_**… This why I hate mind modifiers**." A rumbling shook the room. "**You're like that woman… Perhaps you would even surpass her**."

"I don't know who you're talking about."

"**You will**." Another chuckle erupted. "**It will be interesting to see your reaction**."

"You-" The kunoichi suddenly winced. Damn. Four was too much. Sharply, her stare focused on the Uchiha. His eyebrows furrowed. "We're not done yet." Mayu extended her hand in his direction, palm towards him. "Get out. Now!" As if struck by an invisible force, Sasuke's body was lifted from the floor and slammed against the adjacent wall.

0-0

The Uchiha's eyes expanded. He barely managed to suppress the gasp. He could not stop himself from trembling, though. _"I__ was forced out__,__" _he thought. There was a dull ache in his head at the moment. Sasuke watched as Mayu's gaze slowly returned to him from Naruto. Her hands separated from the ram seal and fell to her sides. _"How far did you go__ with the mission, Mayu?"_ Finally, the shaking of his body stopped, allowing the shinobi to breathe normally. The ache in his mind had faded as well. _"Change of plans… Orochimaru may be weak at the moment, but it might not be enough if she keeps putting on a show__. I'll have to end it now and take him on… Damn, I shouldn't have suppressed the Kyuubi's chakra."_ Sasuke clutched the hilt of his sword, and then removed it from his sheath.

Using his speed, he appeared in front of the kunoichi. She would need to be unconscious for a moment. He had intended to knock her out with the hilt. However, that abnormally pale ninja appeared in behind Mayu. Sasuke didn't show his surprise, but he was. His Body Flicker Jutsu was good. Also, his guard against his sword was impeccable. Not many ninja knew how to successfully guard against his kenjutsu, especially at this angle. Instead of blocking against the sword, the pale ninja had stopped his wrist from moving. Impressive.

Mayu frowned, and then sharply swung her left elbow at Sasuke. He narrowly dodged the strike to his chin by pulling himself away from the shinobi behind her and leaping backwards, out of the crater. He stared down at the group of five. He couldn't say that he liked the way that pale ninja had stopped Mayu from following him; he had placed a firm hand on her shoulder. It made Sasuke's eyebrow twitch. "Sasuke-kun…" His eyes shifted to the one who had spoken. Haruno Sakura. Come to think of it, didn't Mayu announce that she was her replacement? If so, then why was she here with the rest of them? "Why don't you understand?" The pink-haired girl shouted to him. "You body—soon it will be time for Orochimaru to take it! Don't you get it? It means you won't _exist_ anymore!"

Sasuke mentally sighed. As annoying as what her words implied, it meant that Naruto hadn't ran his mouth. But then what did he mean? Did he not tell the Hokage about it? The Uchiha doubted that. He had explained and repeated how important this mission was. There was no way Naruto screwed it up. So then where lied the problem? "Still thinking like a child, Sakura?" She didn't take her eyes off him. "If it's for my revenge, I'd do anything. My brother must die. As long as it's my hand that deals the finishing blow, it doesn't matter who is in control."

"Enough talk." The older ninja of the group had spoken. "Naruto, Sakura, I had hoped not to injure him in front of you, but as it turns out, this situation is becoming too-"

"Captain Yamato!" Mayu exclaimed, interrupting him. "You don't have to get involved. Uchiha Sasuke… He is mine." Above, the young Uchiha's eyes expanded in surprise. He had to tell himself over and over again that there was a different, violent, meaning behind her words. He hoped that the flushing of his cheeks wasn't visible to anyone. "I'm so annoyed. Now, I'll get serious." Serious…? She was holding back the entire time?

"_Che_…" Sasuke scoffed. He should have known that there was something else up her sleeve. Fascinating. His body was trembling again as if excited about there being more to come. Before he could engage in another bout with the kunoichi, because honestly that's what he wanted to do despite the situation, Sasuke sensed him near. Mentally, the shinobi shook his head. This was no time to divulge his desires. The more important thing was for everyone to return safely. Seconds later, Orochimaru appeared by his side. Perfect. Sasuke didn't have to turn his head to know that he was there.

"Orochimaru!" Naruto shouted.

"Haven't you had enough fun playing with these things?" he asked. Like many times before, Sasuke had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Orochimaru's attempts to appear playful were about as effective as Kabuto whenever a bee appeared in front of his face. "I do hope you weren't planning on killing them." Of course not. The snake ninja had seriously believed that the more Leaf ninja kept alive, the more chances Akatsuki's numbers diminished. What a cowardly way of thinking. He had had enough of Orochimaru anyway. "Let's go now." Sasuke smirked.

"It's time," he said.

Confused, Mayu narrowed her eyes. His response to his snake-like teacher didn't make sense. Time…? Time for what? Her confusion increased when the traitor turned towards Orochimaru. She sharply inhaled when the Uchiha abruptly used his sword against his own master. Not the sword, per se, but the chakra manipulation of lightning formed into a blade-like form, extending and plunging deep into Orochimaru's arms. Had he not defended, the older ninja would have taken the attack to his chest area. "Sasuke-kun just!" Sakura couldn't believe it either.

"_Just what the hell is going on?"_ Mayu thought. Because the blade had extended, it had pushed Orochimaru a few hundred meters away. Not only that, but the kunoichi had seen the curse mark spread. A part of Sasuke's face had dark markings on it.

"_Yosh_…!" Naruto exclaimed. "I guess now's the time!" Not just Mayu turned to regard the blond with perplexity. Fortunately, he noticed the attention. "I guess I can tell you guys now." He grinned like a mischievous schoolboy. "Really, this whole time, Sasuke has been spying on Orochimaru for the Leaf! Their looks of perplexity turned into expressions of stunned surprise. Clearly, the news had shaken every single one of them. Slowly their focus returned to the top of the crater. "Sasuke is _still_ our ally."

"No… way…" Sakura murmured.

"_That's… kinda cool,"_ Mayu thought. _"If it's true, that is."_ She narrowed her eyes, and then began to move towards the opening in the crater, where she had left her partner… and her long-ranged weapon. Once she reached her partner, she, without a word, removed her bow and a single arrow from her quiver. She would only need one, along with and explosive. Oh yes. She would definitely use it this time. Peering around the corner, she spotted her target. Good thing he was still standing, having a conversation with the Uchiha. She wrapped the note around her arrow, near the sharp point. Mayu prepared her arrow and pulled the string back. _"Oooh, I'm going to enjoy this far more than I should."_

"Sasuke-kun, y-you…!"

"I've wanted to tell you this for a long time, Orochimaru. Don't call me that. It sounds creepy," Sasuke retorted. The Sanin groaned as blood ran down his arm and dripped from his elbow. The young Uchiha glanced out of the corner of his eye. Expectedly, she was gone again. He hoped she wouldn't do something as stupid as appearing behind Orochimaru. He was weaker than he was before, but that didn't mean she could take him on. Especially since she had already fought against him. Then again, she did admit she had been holding back the entire time. Was it weird that he wanted to see what else she had to show? Sasuke returned his full attention back to Orochimaru. "I never had any intention of sacrificing my body to you. Like hell I'm going to give my body away to someone weaker than me."

"Big words… coming from the last of the Uchiha."

Sasuke smirked. Had it been four years ago, he would have reacted negatively to that statement. However, he was older—wiser—and things like that didn't get to him anymore. After all, the world would be replenished with Uchiha sometime in the future. "You know something… What I learned before I came to you is that the last, in anything, seems to be so much stronger, so much better, than what the world thinks. To the world, perhaps you are as great as a Sanin, but... you're nowhere near the level of strength of those considered to be last." That's when Sasuke saw it. The projectile headed towards Orochimaru appeared to be going slower in his eyes, but in reality, the others most likely couldn't see it because it was moving so fast.

An arrow lodged itself into Orochimaru's side. He seemed just as surprised as everyone else. His eyes sharply turned towards where the arrow had come from. The snake Sanin wasn't the only one to spot Mayu slowly returning her arms to her sides. In her left hand was a black bow, blatantly showing that she had fired off the arrow. She grinned, showing her teeth. "_Haha_! How you like me now?" Without warning, mostly left side of Orochimaru's body was blown to pieces, including his arms. Sasuke jerked his Chidori infused sword back.

"_Nice, Mayu. Still as brutal as ever,"_ he thought. Still, even an explosion wasn't enough. Orochimaru seemed paralyzed by the attack for only a moment. Then, out of his mouth came a slimy snake Sanin. Admittedly the Body Shedding technique was useful—as it allowed the user to regain any lost appendages—but it was somehow… revolting. Similar to a snake, Orochimaru slid completely out of his skin. Sasuke pointed his sword at him again. "Give it up. This is the end for you. I already know that jutsu of yours drains your chakra considerably."

"Y-You Uchiha br-brat!" Orochimaru's voice rasped.

"I won't show you mercy even if you beg," Sasuke stated.

"Now what is this?" A voice questioned. He knew it well. It was Kabuto. A second later, the glasses-wearing ninja appeared in front of his master. "I knew that one day you would betray Orochimaru-sama, but I didn't think that was your intention all along."

"Don't think of it that way. Rather, you should think that I was never loyal to him or his causes in the first place." Kabuto narrowed his eyes, causing Sasuke to smirk. He never really did like when anyone insulted his master, especially an arrogant Uchiha. Many times Sasuke sensed that Kabuto had wanted to strike him whenever he had disrespected Orochimaru. He hadn't, though. After all, Orochimaru's prized possession couldn't be hurt. "So… You want to die alongside him, is that it?"

Kabuto glanced back at the haggard Sanin. He was in no position to do battle. Surely, he could keep the others at bay with some help from Orochimaru, but Sasuke was dangerous. By his hands alone, both he and his master could die here. Not to mention that girl—the one that could attack from a distance. It was twice now that he could see or prevent her arrows from getting to his master. It would be better to retreat and plan later. However, judging from Orochimaru's expression, the great ninja wanted to keep his next vessel. That wasn't good. When he awoke from his unconscious state and escaped from the clone of Orochimaru's experiment, this was not the situation he had expected to find. Honestly, this was most unexpected. He had not once had any suspicion of Sasuke doing something like this.

"Seems like you're in a tight spot," a voice commented. Kabuto's eyes grew wide in surprise. He sharply turned his head to the right. Standing near the edge of the cliff was the girl who had shot Orochimaru. He hadn't sensed her presence at all. When had she appeared in that spot? She was a fairly safe distance away from both he and Orochimaru, and Sasuke. "Do you think it'd be best to retreat?" For a split second, her blue irises seemed to have a glow. "You should leave." Kabuto froze.

"_What was that?"_ he thought. A cold sweat formed above his brow. _"__For an instant, my body…"_ Behind his lenses, Kabuto's eyes narrowed. "Just who are you?" he questioned out loud.

"Confused, now get lost!"

"Orochimaru-sama, we must retreat," Kabuto stated. He turned and placed a hand on the Sanin's shoulder. _"__What? I can't control myself!"_ he thought. Before Orochimaru could protest, Kabuto used a teleportation jutsu, which caused himself and his master to disappear from sight. _"__What was that…? Mind c__ontrol jutsu__…? But I didn't see a seal. Nor did she exert any chakra. Who is she?"_

Meanwhile back with Mayu, she had dropped to her knees as soon as the two enemies disappeared. "Damn… That was only a few seconds and I feel like this?" she thought. The kunoichi squeezed her eyes shut. _"__Looks like I need to train more with that ability. The next time I see __Mitsuo, I__'ll ask more questions."_

"Mayu, are you okay?" The concern in his voice made the kunoichi furrow her brow. Slowly, her eyes met his dark ones. Uchiha Sasuke slid his sword back into his sheath. The mark receded from his face. He frowned. "You're bleeding." Mayu dragged a finger under her nose, smearing the blood on her fingers. However, her gaze did not drift from the young Uchiha. He walked over and knelt down in front of her. To her surprise, his fingers lightly touched her cheek. Something inside jerked at his touch. "This is your face, isn't it?"

"_Eh_? _Ah_, yeah…" Admittedly, Mayu felt uncomfortable. The familiarity she felt freaked her out a bit. Hinata had told her that Sasuke and she were friends. So then… If this whole 'Sasuke is still our ally' thing was true, did that mean she _had_ affected him? How? To what extent?

"I…" Sasuke began. He moved closer. "It's about time you two came for me. I was seriously thinking about leaving on my own to come back." The corner of his lips tugged upward in a slight smile. "Aren't you going to welcome me back, Mayu?" Again, his face moved closer and closer until his lips were pressed her against hers. The kunoichi was so stunned that she couldn't even make a squeak of surprise. Kiss. He was kissing her. Uchiha Sasuke was _kissing_ her! This feeling he brought about within her due to his action was new—foreign. Well, she had been kissed before, but he had considered her a sibling and vice versa. However, this was different. Too different. Uchiha Sasuke pressed harder against her, even softly grabbing the back of her neck with his hand. She couldn't understand his sudden display of affection. So what would the Ishikari Mayu of sixteen do in this type of situation?

Sucker punch the mofo.

0-0

Do you know how many times I listened to "Shut Me Up" by Mindless Self Indulgence? Quite a few times. I think that song is going to be Mayu and Sasuke's theme song for awhile. It's kinda funny actually. You should listen to it _after_ you leave a review behind, lovely readers!


	13. Nostalgia II

Sasuke was expecting a lot of disbelief, criticism, hostility even. He had been gone a long time. Many people of the Hidden Leaf Village must have thought he was a traitor, viewing him as something akin to his brother. In that case, his existence most likely was kept to a hush hush. Others probably didn't care and went about their lives. He expected such reactions. However, he was not expecting all three of them to come from the same person who knew his real intentions. Yet there she stood, fist stilled clenched, giving him a look of incredulity as though what he had done was too outlandish to even consider. The young Uchiha lightly touched his face. She had struck him several times in the same spot, but her last punch had hurt more than the others. The kunoichi suddenly shuddered, drawing in her arm. "_Uwaa_…!" She then pointed a finger. "Y-Y-Y-You just…!"

The shinobi had a wild sense of déjà vu.

Before he could say anything—he had wanted to yell at the girl—Sasuke was pulled away by Uzumaki Naruto. Once they were out of earshot from the others, the blond cleared his throat. "About what I saying before…" he began. Sasuke furrowed his brow. "I'm just going to tell you now. Mayu can't remember you or the espionage mission you gave her." Dark eyes merely stared at Naruto. The expression on his face was too blank to read. Then again, most of the time, Naruto had not been able to place the correct emotion Sasuke was feeling. He had just stuck to broody back then. "_Ah_… More specifically, she can't remember sharing a body with Hinata. Oh, she can't really remember being in Sakura-chan's body either. Hinata thinks it's the work of the jutsu that sent her away, but I really don't know anything about that. When we get back to the village, I'm sure Hinata will explain that to you." Sasuke continued to stare at him. He stayed that way for a full minute.

Finally, his gaze shifted back over to Mayu. She was still staring in the same spot Sasuke had been, still pointing. Also, she seemed to be ignoring, or at least not hearing, Sakura yelling at her. The medic had seen the kiss, and then the follow up punch as the rest of them did. Yamato stood idly by, as did Sai. "She…" Sasuke began. He turned his eyes back to Naruto. "She has amnesia?" The blond nodded his head. "That stupid…! I'm going to-" The Uchiha made a move to walk back over to the rest of the group, but again, Naruto wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him close.

"No, no!" He spoke in a whisper. "Right now… Mayu doesn't _feel_ anything for you." Sasuke's eyes widened. "On top of that, in her head you were a traitor for the longest time. If we spring the truth on her now, who knows how'll she act?" An image of the kunoichi going absolutely ballistic came to mind. "For now, I think we should wait to tell Mayu about your relationship. Or, at least, wait until she thinks of you as a friend." Sasuke furrowed his brow and averted his eyes. He didn't like the sound of that, but Naruto was right. He pulled away from his friend and held his cheek. If this is how she reacted to just a kiss, she might really explode if she learned that she was actually his girlfriend. Hell, was she even his girlfriend? She had bluntly told him that she didn't love him back then.

_I'll fall for you…_

_I could grow to love him as much as he loves me._

Back then, she had stated that she didn't dislike him, and had questioned why she would reject him. However, right now, it seemed that Mayu had no feelings for him whatsoever, according to Naruto. This wasn't fair, but he would have to deal with this until a later time. _"She's forgotten everything, including being my spy. Damn…"_ Sasuke frowned as he narrowed his eyes. Not only had he been expecting a welcome back kiss, but he had been expecting information, too. Both expectations had ended in failure. Well, not the kiss part, but the consequences of the kiss ended badly. Sasuke inaudibly sighed. How was he going to explain the kiss, anyway? He must have seemed like a pervert in her eyes.

As if sensing his unease, Naruto patted his shoulder twice. "Don't worry. Mayu will listen to me," he said. Sasuke frowned, but nodded his head. The two shinobi walked over to the group. Sakura abruptly stopped yelling at Mayu and turned towards them. "Hey! Mayu, cut that out!" Naruto caught her attention. The kunoichi flinched, and then slowly dropped her arm. Blinking, she turned her attention to the blond ninja. "You must be wondering why _that_ happened, right?" She continued to stare. "Well, Sasuke thinks of you as his _precious_ friend. You two were tight like that."

"Tight like that?" Mayu repeated. She scratched her cheek as her gaze refocused on Sasuke. His dark eyes were trained on her as well. Naruto went on to compare their relationship to the relationship she had with Gaara. "_Oooh_… I see," she murmured. The kunoichi scratched at her cheek again. "Sorry then… for the hit. I didn't know. You see, I've lost my memories. I didn't know we were… tight like that." Sasuke didn't respond. He only continued to stare at her, unblinking. Mayu easily returned his gaze.

"_What… What is this?"_ Sakura swallowed hard as she watched the two. Naruto was grinning as he stood beside Sasuke. However, it was like he wasn't there at all. In a vortex of swirling wind, it was just them, staring into each other's eyes. The medic stiffened as she continued to observe them. Even though they were right there in front of her, she felt as though they were so far away. Even if she were to reach out, she couldn't grab onto them. It was too strange, and stifling. _"I don't understand… Mayu doesn't remember Sasuke-kun at all, and yet… and yet…" _Sakura couldn't finish her thought. It suddenly felt as though she couldn't breathe. Her hand clenched at her side. The atmosphere between them—she couldn't break it. Luckily, Sai had no such qualms.

"I don't mean to sound slow, but to clarify, Sasuke-kun is still an official ninja of the Leaf, yes?" he asked. Naruto loudly confirmed this. "_Ah_… Sasuke-kun is a good actor. I didn't have a clue until Naruto-kun stated that you were working as a spy all along."

"Yes. Back then, I realized how much Orochimaru wanted to use me," Sasuke stated. "So when the invitation to his domain came around, I agreed to it. I was going to use _him_ instead. The man responsible for the Sand and Sound Invasion and the death of the Third Hokage—Orochimaru is, without a doubt, the enemy. I thought that if I were to go, I could gather information, and perhaps prevent something like another invasion from happening again. On the mission to retrieve me, I told Naruto about my intentions."

"And I told Granny about it, too," Naruto proudly stated.

"Tsunade-sama knows about it?" Sakura exclaimed in surprise.

"Yup!"

"Who else knows about this?" Sai questioned. Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a look that wasn't lost to any of the group. "Could it be… that you cannot tell us?"

"No, no!" Naruto waved his hands side to side in front of his face. "It's just… She can't remember, anyway."

"Can't remember…?" Sakura repeated. Then all eyes turned in Mayu's direction. "_She_ knew?"

"Yeah… Sasuke told me and Mayu both about his plans," Naruto made it clear. "Only the three of us, plus, Granny, knew about it. It's too bad she forgot."

"I'm standing right here, you know," Mayu murmured. She stepped forward, stopping meters in front of the Uchiha. Lifting her hand, she lightly touched his cheek. Sasuke closed his eyes, simply allowing the touch. Sakura almost choked out at the sight. "So… I affected you?" she whispered. The Uchiha opened his eyes and smirked. He returned her gesture, thumb stroking her cheek.

"You still do."

"I see."

The atmosphere was again broken by the older ninja clearly his throat. The two dropped their hands and turned towards the man. Sasuke seemed rather annoyed by the interruption. "What information did you gather?" Captain Yamato finally spoke up. The spy of the Leaf village averted his eyes, yet frowned.

"I will write up a full report for Hokage-sama. If she allows it, then I will share the information. Until then, I cannot say anything pertaining to my mission," he replied. "For now, I suggest that we stop talking and find a place to rest. Looking at you, all of you are exhausted and or injured. We shouldn't stay in the open like this." Yamato nodded his head in agreement. The group began to move, away from the large crater.

Unbeknownst to them, a pair of yellow eyes watched their departure.

0-0

"_Aaaaaaaahhhh_~!" Naruto groaned blissfully as he sank into the hot spring. He hadn't realized how sore his body was until the water touched his skin. It felt like the weight of the world had just been lifted. This was great. Orochimaru and Kabuto were gone. His best friend was returning to the village with him. The team was going to be together again. Happy days were here again! "Isn't this great, Sasuke?"

"Piss off."

"_I stand corrected,"_ Naruto thought, turning his gaze to the brooding Uchiha. He had been standoffish like this for awhile now. The blond could swear that he saw his friend's lower lip poking out. "Are you still upset about-?"

"Upset would be spending your free time, sleeping because there's nothing else better to do," Sasuke interrupted. "What I'm feeling is something akin to irate."

"What?"

Sasuke sighed heavily. "You wouldn't understand," he muttered. How could Naruto possibly understand? He wasn't in this situation. Back where he belonged, he should have felt content. However, Mayu didn't remember him. How could he feel anything other than irate? Perhaps irate wasn't the right word. Maybe irritated. After all, Mayu had spoken to him since they had left Orochimaru's hideout. She wouldn't even look his way, in fact. No matter how many times he had stole glances her way, she had always looked straight ahead, seemingly oblivious to his stare. The Uchiha shut his eyes. She wouldn't be like this all the time, would she?

In the past, she had approached him, completely ignoring his 'don't talk to me' aura that he gave off. It had worked well for most people, except the persistent fangirls. Mayu, though, wasn't a fangirl, though she appeared like one at the time. He'd never forget it. He had thought it was too strange that _Sakura_ had asked him to give Ino a chance. Though he hadn't showed his surprise, he had been quite stunned. Then _Sakura_ had begun to do more things that were out of character. Thinking back, he should have realized sooner. Sasuke slowly opened his eyes. Thinking of the past wouldn't get him anywhere, especially since the present was more important. Mayu couldn't remember, but he damn well could. Naruto had told him something about a trigger word—one single word that would bring all the memories flowing back to her. He just needed to find that word, and everything would be fine. But with the way the trigger word worked, it was confusing as hell. Then again, it had been Naruto to explain to him. Perhaps he should personally ask Mayu instead of taking Naruto's word for it.

_If_ she talked to him, that is.

That thought just made the young Uchiha more irritated. "Come on, Sasuke! It's not that bad! At least she doesn't downright _hate_ you!" Naruto tried, in vain, to lift his spirits. "She's probably letting the information sink in that you're not the bad guy. Even Sakura-chan's not talking to you."

"You wanna die?" Sasuke asked, earning a nervous chuckle from the blond shinobi.

"Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun…"

Hearing their names, the two shinobi looked towards the left. Sitting beside Naruto was Sai. The pale ninja had been quiet until this point. Well, besides Naruto, it had been quiet. The team had come to a town, known for the hot spring. Apparently, according to Sakura, they had stopped here on the way to the bridge. Sasuke had to agree that it was a good place to rest. At the moment, the younger ninja were the only three in the spring. Well, perhaps the females of the team were relaxing on the other side. It was a mystery what Yamato was doing. It was pretty late. It almost felt as though they were the only people awake. "What is it, Sai?" Naruto asked, curiosity clearly rising. Then he scowled. "If this is another joke about my dick, then I'm gonna-"

"I've been thinking," Sai interrupted, leading Sasuke to briefly wonder about the past jokes the pale ninja had said. The guy didn't seem like a person who would make jokes. In fact, he seemed like a person who wouldn't understand a joke at all. "Mayu-san… She's a strange person, isn't she?" Naruto made a noise of inquiry. "Admittedly, I have little to no knowledge when it comes to… kissing, but Mayu-san-" With a shriek of horror, Naruto quickly covered the pale teen's mouth before he could finish his explanation. Sasuke raised a brow at the sight.

"What about Mayu and kissing?" he asked.

"Nothing! Nothing!" Naruto exclaimed hurriedly. "Sai's just… just weird! He's-"

"Actually, I wanted to know why she so readily kisses others, but becomes violent when she is on the receiving end," Sai stated after he had pried his teammate's hand from his face.

"SAI~!"

"Who?" Sasuke questioned as his eyebrow twitched once.

"I have only known for a short period of time," Sai said. "However, I have seen her kiss Naruto-kun numerous times. I, as well, have been kissed by her."

The Uchiha abruptly stood up, causing Naruto to tense. It was indeed hot, but the blonde's sweat came down like rain. Sasuke moved again, this time to get out of the spring entirely. Without a word, he wrapped a towel around himself and walked towards the exit. Naruto remained in his frozen form until his friend was completely out of sight. A sigh of relief came from his lips. Then he turned a glare in Sai's direction, to which the pale ninja merely stared back in return. "Hey! Mayu and Sasuke's relationship is really complicated right now! Don't say anything about her _to_ or _around_ him!" Naruto hugged himself, shivering. _"It's been so long that I don't know how Sasuke will react to the things I have seen her do! Who knows what might happen if he sees or hears the same things?"_he thought. _"I've got to make sure Mayu doesn't do anything…__ Mayu-ish!"_

Meanwhile with Sasuke, he was feeling rather different after hearing what Sai had said. It was a feeling he had felt before, just not quite like this. Over an opponent's strength, over his brother, over Naruto's second winds occasionally, hell, even over those who have such a relaxed life. But never over a girl. What he was feeling at the moment was jealousy. Sasuke had managed to kiss Mayu a total of five times. In the years they had been apart, had she kissed many males? Had she really given away her kisses when she had been so reluctant to let him kiss her? _"Mayu…"_ The Uchiha narrowed his eyes as he wrapped a robe around his body. He shook his head. Thinking about it wouldn't get him anywhere… except incredibly pissed. More pissed than he already was. He could hardly believe that Mayu had to go and do something to get her memories erased. Still, there was a way around that. The trigger word. Eventually, one word would jumpstart her memories, along with the information she had gathered as his spy. _"But I wonder if this has happened before? If it has, then there was another set of memories she lost—memories before she met me." _Before he could ponder any further, a voice caught his attention. The Uchiha shifted his stare from the floor up to the person standing in front of him. "Sakura," he greeted impassively.

"What are doing here?" she asked. "Were… Were you looking for Mayu?"

"What?" It was then that Sasuke realized where he was. While the girls' room was on the second floor of the hotel, the room he shared with Naruto and Sai was on the third floor. "No, I just thinking," Sasuke answered.

"Oh," Sakura replied, eyes focused elsewhere. Shrugging, Sasuke turned to head to his room. "Wait! Can… Can we talk?" He raised a brow. "Not here. I mean, in private. Mayu's still in the hot spring, so we have plenty of time."

"Whatever," Sasuke replied. "Lead the way."

The medic led the way straight into the room she was sharing with Mayu. Sakura sat down, knees under the small table in the room, gesturing for him to do the same. Sasuke did so with a frown. His former teammate liked to beat around the bush. He hoped this wasn't one of those times. "So… Sasuke-kun… How have you been?" This was one of those times, it appeared. Suppressing his sigh, the Uchiha crossed his arms. Before he could stop it, the sarcastic response of 'Peachy' came from his mouth. Expectedly, Sakura appeared a bit hurt. He didn't want to hurt her, but he didn't come here to make small talk. In addition to that, he didn't want to recall Orochimaru's training all that much. He called out to her, drawing her green eyes to his person. She opened her mouth to begin again, but Sasuke interrupted, telling her that she should just get on with what she wanted to say. He had no patience for a long, drawn out conversation right now. Perhaps another time, maybe, but not now. "_Um_… Well… I was wondering ever since Naruto told us, but… why didn't you tell me about any of this?" The shinobi blinked slowly. Sakura shifted her gaze away from him again. There was a frown on her face. "I can understand why you told Naruto, he being your teammate, but I was your teammate, too. Mayu isn't even… She wasn't your teammate. Why did you tell her and not me?"

"…" For a moment, Sasuke remained silent. "So that's it, is it? You're feeling insecure because you were left out, along with a few hundred other people." He smirked. "Don't be such a child, Sakura."

"I'm not being a child!" She actually raised her voice. "I just… I just want to know why you didn't tell me!" The smirk disappeared from Sasuke's face as he stared at her. Flushing, yet not looking away, the medic opened her mouth again. "Tell me, Sasuke-kun… Was I not important enough to you even though you were important to me?"

"Don't put words in my mouth," Sasuke told her, almost annoyed. "To be honest, I was going to tell you."

"_Huh_?"

"Yes, I was going to tell you everything when you stopped me that night," he continued. "But I changed my mind." When she asked why, the Uchiha closed his eyes, remembering. Finally, his dark eyes returned to her. "It's because of what _I_ told you." At her confused expression, Sasuke went on to explain. "That night we at together at the restaurant right after the Sand and Sound Invasion, do you remember what we talked about?" Hesitantly, Sakura nodded her head. "I told you that you shouldn't do things just because other people are doing it—that you should follow your own path." Again, the medic nodded her head as she recalled the conversation. "When I remembered that, I decided that you shouldn't know. If you had known, you would have been the same Sakura."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you would have felt at ease, become relaxed, and not have grown at all," Sasuke explained. "I knew it when you were so desperate to keep me in the village. No, I knew it when you said that you would even follow me into the Sound village." It was then that he narrowed his eyes. "Did you know how you sounded to me at the moment, Sakura?" It was a question that she wouldn't answer. She wasn't supposed to. "You sounded annoying and foolish… pathetic, even." Sakura shut her eyes and turned her head away. "Whether your feelings were strong or not, you were willing to follow after a traitor and become a traitor yourself. And so I didn't tell you my real plans. I saw that you needed to change. With my leaving, I knew that it would change you. Eventually, she followed your own path, didn't you, Sakura? You're no longer an average ninja. You decided something by yourself and began to have a mind of your own. That is why I didn't tell you."

"Y-Yes, but…" She pressed her lips into a thin line as her eyes opened. "Why did you want me to change my mindset, Sasuke-kun?"

"Is that a question that really needs to be asked?" He almost rolled his eyes. "It's obvious that I care about you. You were my teammate." Sakura's eyes expanded as she stared at him in a stunned silence. Sasuke could see the tears beginning to well. Damn—he hadn't told her that so that she would cry.

"Sa-Sasuke-kun…" Despite the droplets rolling down her cheeks, the pink-haired medic smiled. "You're a liar!"

"What?"

"You told me that there was no caring personality underneath it all, but it's there. I see it clearly now," Sakura said. "You definitely changed."

"Of course I did," he murmured. His gaze averted. "Stop crying already." Sakura wiped away her happy tears with the backs of her hands. After a few moments, Sasuke opened his mouth again. "Are you okay now?" She nodded her head, contentedly. "Good. Don't tell anyone about this conversation. I don't want to hear Naruto's mouth." Sakura chuckled as she moved to stand. The young Uchiha stood as well.

"Sasuke-kun…!" Still smiling, the medic clasped her hands together behind her back. "Can I hug you?"

"No."

"What? Come on!"

"No. You're worse than Naruto."

"Hey! I am no-"

"Don't trust a ho! Never trust a ho! Don't trust a ho! Don't trust me!" Sasuke and Sakura exchanged an incredulous look. That could only be one person. "Shush boy…! Shut your lips! Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hips… I said shush boy! Shut your lips! Do the Helen Keller and talk with your hip-" Ishikari Mayu stopped her rap to merrily open the door. "Sakura-chan~! Captain Yamato has dinner aga-" It was then she noticed that her temporary roommate wasn't the only one in the room. Both Sakura and Sasuke wore similar expressions. Slight horror. "What? Did I interrupt something?" Her eyes shifted back and forth, equipped with wiggling eyebrows. The Uchiha caught the implication.

"No!" Sasuke almost exclaimed, pushing Sakura away from him. She almost fell over by the sudden force. The shinobi ignored the angry shout from his former teammate. "You didn't interrupt anything. I was just leav-"

"No, no, no, no, no!" Mayu held up her hand, palm facing the two. "I came to tell Sakura that our captain ordered dinner again. You have to come to, you know. Let's all go together." The kunoichi grinned, showing her teeth. She was obviously in bliss at the thought of eating. Sasuke let a small smile cross his face.

"_Memories or not, she's still herself,"_ he thought.

"_Sasuke-kun…"_ Sakura noticed his fleeting smile and dipped her chin. _"You didn't tell me why you told Mayu__, though__."_

0-0

It had been a few hours since the group, plus Sasuke, had returned to the village. As expected, ninja and civilians alike stared. In their minds, it must have seemed like the traitor had been brought back home. They had to have been confused since he had been walking alongside the others as if he were an equal. Must have pissed and confused the hell out of them all. The young Uchiha propped his sword up against the wall near his old bed. It sure was dusty in his home. He had just returned from giving his report to, not only, the Hokage, but the council as well. Despite doing a self-made mission for the Leaf village, it was still a _self-made_ mission, which involved becoming a traitor. Because of that, the Fifth could do nothing about the council's punishment.

As if it was really a punishment.

Sasuke walked around his bed towards the desk. The squared frame was still down. However, it was not facedown as he had left it. It was upright, showing the dusty glass covering. Underneath it was the picture that made him smirk. Years ago, it had nearly thrown a fit after the picture was taken. His and Naruto's surprised faces were almost comical as Mayu—as Sakura—had winked at the camera with her arms around their necks. Kakashi had stood behind them, smile evident under his mask. When the real Sakura had come back, he had come to care for the first team picture. Another team picture had been taken sometime after that, but that particular one was hanging on the far wall, near his closet. That reminded him. He needed some new clothes.

_Ugly. What an ugly ass outfit. He looks like he has _man boobs_. _

His shoulders slumped as he remembered her callous words. Mayu had never been one keep her mouth shut when it came to… pretty much anything. Shaking the girl from his mind for a moment, dark eyes scanned the room. It wasn't just this room either. He would need to clean the entire house. Maybe he could get Naruto to help him. Those clones of his were useful. They only needed direction. It would probably only take a few hours. The only question was when.

"Gosh, this is _so_ boring…" A voice drawled out. Sasuke found himself smirking. "Why was I given the mundane task of watching you?" The dark-haired kunoichi opened the window. It was so strange. She could have been there for the longest time, but he hadn't sensed her presence. That was the reason she was doing it in the first place. The Hokage convinced the council to have Ishikari Mayu watch over him because her skills at stealth were impeccable. Apparently, the Fifth had seen it herself. "This is so not fair. They didn't even give me a time limit!" Her feet touched the floor without a sound.

"Stop complaining," Sasuke told her. Mayu crossed her arms. "You shouldn't have revealed yourself to me." She only shrugged.

"Like I said, that was boring. Anyway, let's go. Naruto, Sai, and I are going to meet Kakashi-sensei at the hospital. You're coming, too. Kakashi-sensei didn't know about your plan, right?"

"Kakashi… He's hurt?"

"Yeah, on our last mission, he used a lot of chakra. He's been in the hospital ever since," Mayu explained. "So let's go! Afterwards, I have to buy a new thing to wear on missions—something more durable."

"Aren't you supposed to be watching me most of the day? Already slacking off, _eh_?" Sasuke questioned.

"That's why you're coming with me." She shook her head as though she couldn't believe his stupidity. "_Ah_, such a bird brain you are."

"At least I'm not an ignorant cocoon girl."

"WHAT?"

"Let's just go meet up already," Sasuke continued to smirk as he moved towards the door. Muttering to herself, Mayu followed after him. As they walked, she also complained about all the dust, saying that she would help out to clean. Why? She didn't want keep coming back to such a dusty place. As they left the Uchiha district, Sasuke finally noticed that she wasn't wearing what she had wore on the mission. She had lost the jacket and pants, and was now wearing an overly large black T-shirt and blue shorts. "So… how have you been?"

"Been…?" Mayu shrugged. "Good, I guess."

"You became a ninja during our time apart," Sasuke stated. "When exactly did you become Sakura's replacement?"

"When Naruto came back to the village. Together, we showed off our skills to the Fifth Hokage. She allowed me to be a ninja because of that, and also placed me on Team 7, most likely because Naruto didn't have any teammates at the time. It was a matter of convenience, I think."

"Convenience or not, this works in our favor. With Naruto and me on the team, it would only be a matter of time before your memories return."

"_Ah_, yeah…" Mayu scratched her cheek. "Say… I was wondering how our relationship was. I mean, I'm not sure how to act around you because I don't remember-"

"Just act normally. That's the Mayu I like best," Sasuke interrupted. The kunoichi stopped, prompting the Uchiha to do the same. He turned and looked back at her. "You're fine the way you are."

"Well, yeah, but I want to know how we got along," she said. Sasuke almost scowled. There was no need for her to remember. She was still the same. Completely self-satisfied. "Did we see each other often? Did I come to your house? Did we have sleepovers? How about training? Did we spar with one another?"

"Yes."

"Yes to what?"

"To all those things. You forced me into it all."

"That sounds like me." She actually grinned. Sasuke stared at her, lips parted. This kunoichi in front of him… he wanted to kiss her. Although she appeared in another form—no, it was her original body—the grin she wore was the same as it had been years ago. He had missed it. And she had no idea. Ignorant in both body and mind… Was fate really that cruel? The shinobi inwardly sighed and turned away from her. Listen to him… He didn't believe in fate or destiny, or things of that nature, yet here he was contemplating the circumstance. "Sasuke, I have another question," Mayu walked by his side. The two began walking towards the meeting point again. "I am your precious friend, but was there ever a time where I… made it clear that you were my precious friend?"

"No. You chose Gaara over me."

"Oh, so he was… Hinata-chan told me about the invasion—what she saw of if anyway," Mayu continued, missing the bitterness in her companion's voice. "_Hm_… Why am I your precious friend, by the way?"

"You saved me," Sasuke murmured.

"I did what-"

"_Oi_! Sasuke! Mayu!" The familiar voice of Uzumaki Naruto caught their attention. They looked to see that the blond was not alone. Sai stood by his side as well. "Look who I found at the library?" Naruto gestured towards the pale shinobi as the two came to a halt in front of him.

"_You_ go to the library?" Mayu asked. "Since when?"

"You _read_?" Sasuke questioned. "Since when?"

"Since go screw a stick, that's when!" Naruto huffed in annoyance and crossed his arms. "Hinata told me that reading can be meditative, too, so I wanted to try it!"

"Failed, huh?"

"Shut _up_, Sasuke!"

"M-Mayu… Na-Naruto… Sasuke…" Sai hesitantly began. The three turned to the pale shinobi. When their eyes met his, he averted his gaze to the ground, almost as though he were embarrassed. He scratched at his cheek. "May I… join your conversation?" Their expressions became confused, so Sai went on to explain. "_Um_… You see, I was reading about how to open up to people… That's the reason I was at the library. The book I was reading said to try dropping honorifics, or use a nickname. By doing so, you can become friends faster and easier. And I… want to become friend with you… all of you." A slight blush appeared.

"Sai-chan! You're so adorable!" Mayu almost squealed. Sasuke remained straight-faced as Naruto grinned.

"I was trying to come up with nicknames for you three," Sai continued. "But I couldn't think of any… so I thought dropping the honorifics is good enough for now."

"Nicknames aren't something you think about," Naruto said. "They just come to you naturally. Like for Mayu and Sasuke. She calls him bird brain, while he calls her cocoon girl." Both teens in question twitched.

"That doesn't mean you can call me that," they grumbled in unison. "You don't see us walking around calling you 'the dumbass,' do you?" Sasuke went on.

"Sasuke~! That's _way_ overdoing it!"

"So then…" Sai pressed the side of his index finger to his chin, looking deep in thought. "Nicknames can stem from characteristics, _huh_?"

"Yup!" Mayu replied. He was quiet for a moment. Then he looked up, smile on his face.

"Thanks, I think I've got it now." Sai nodded his head. The kunoichi grinned. "Queen."

"Q-Queen…?"

"Yes," Sai nodded his head again. "It fits you, right?"

"Come to think of it, it does," Sasuke remarked. "Ordering people around, punishing them if they don't follow your demands—no matter how unreasonable they are."

"That does sound right," Naruto agreed.

"Shut up you jerks!" Then her expression softened. "Queen does have a nice ring to it, though… Very well, I shall take the nickname you have bestowed on me, Sai-chan." Sasuke resisted rolling his eyes. "So you're going to come up with nicknames for Sasuke and Naruto then?"

"Yes, since it worked so well this time," Sai answered. "Should we visit Kakashi-sensei now?"

0-0

"… And in the end, Uchiha Sasuke returned to the Leaf."

"It seems like he isn't like you at all then, _ne_, Itachi-sama?"

"Yeah… Returning home, ditching the pedophile, and kissing girls—definitely not the same, _un_."

"…"

"How long will it be before you realize Itachi-san won't react to your taunts?"

"I can try!"

"Please! This robotic bitch doesn't react to anything! Let alone your fucking pre-school taunts!"

"He's just ignoring you damn retards."

"Why are you looking at me when you say that, Kakuzu? We're _supposed_ to be partners!"

"So…?"

"Hey, Zonbi Konbi, save the comedy act for another time."

"Shut the fuck up, Kisame, you blue-faced bastard!"

"All of you… shut up."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"… Konan-sama, cool as always."

"Thank you, Petto-chan."

"Anyway, Leader-sama… This news can't bode well, right? I propose we initiate _my_ plan."

"Your plan is fucking ridiculous!"

"And it costs too much money."

"Not to mention that it's dangerous, _un_."

"I'm not really a part of this organization, so I shouldn't care what you think. I'm _going_ to go through with this. Besides, it'll cost money, Kakuzu-sama, but not the organization's money. I'll still be funding this organization… just like before. Leader-sama…?"

"We are running low on funds… just when we're about to make our move. I don't like giving up bounty rewards anyway."

"Very well. Do it."

"Yes, Leader-sama."

**Finally! Shit****'s about to go down!**

0-0

NEW ARC'S COMING! WHOO!

Review please!


	14. Foreign Motivations

Sasuke sighed heavily. This was the first time in awhile that he had slept in his own bed. It felt a bit strange—so strange that he had trouble actually getting to sleep. Dark eyes stared up at his ceiling. If it was going to be like this, maybe he should consider moving out of his former home. He had considered it before. After the massacre took place. However, then, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He had been filled with so much hatred and sadness. He had willingly wanted a reminder of what happened that night as to not forget what he must do. There had been a time when the Third Hokage wanted him to leave this place. The old man had believed staying here would negatively affect his mind. He had been completely right.

In fact, the nightmares hadn't stopped until Mayu had forced her way into his home. Back when she had looked very much like a dark-skinned Hyuga Hinata. Sasuke found himself smirking. That girl had complained about his way of living, saying that his home was as dark and depressing as he was. She had said those things to his face. Admittedly, he had changed a few things after she had ranted to him. He must have cared about her opinion even back then. He wondered when that had changed to love.

The young Uchiha finally shut his eyes. It didn't matter _when_ it had happened, only that it did. It was unfortunate that things had turned out the way they did, though. He had read a bizarre thing before. Distance could make the heart grow fonder. But, in the end, he was the only one to experience something like that. Mayu had forgotten his confession. She had become unaware of the memories that they shared. Unfair. It was unfair. Though, he most likely wasn't the only one to feel this. He wasn't the only one to lose her. Hyuga Hinata was Mayu's best friend. She must have felt hurt, too. Sasuke sighed through his nose. Still, since it was Mayu, he didn't want to get rid of his selfish way of thinking.

"Sasuke." The voice seemed to have come from nowhere, and yet it sounded so close. He opened his eyes to see blue irises staring back at him. Mayu was hovering over his covered form. The young Uchiha frowned, lowering his eyelids. She smirked, clicking her tongue. "What a dull reaction you had. Naruto usually screams like a little girl."

"How long are you going to keep doing this?" Sasuke asked. "It's annoying. What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Apparently, my job of watching you doesn't stop when the moon appears. Then again, criminals do tend to become more active at night. If you are still working for Orochimaru, I'll definitely catch you in the act."

"I never worked for him. I was using him. I'm not… I'm not the traitor you think I am," he told her. Instead of responding to his statement, she placed her hands on either side of his head. "Mayu…" Suddenly become conscious of their positions, the young shinobi's cheeks grew hotter. He realized that she wasn't wearing her hair in a high ponytail at the moment. Now, her hair was pulled into a low ponytail, which hung over her left shoulder. "Kiss me." She didn't seem the least bit surprise by the demand. She lowered herself until her lips were centimeters away.

"Which? Kiss you as your precious friend? Or kiss you as your lover?" Mayu asked. "Which?"

"Both." Admittedly, he had always been bitter that Mayu had chosen Gaara over him in the invasion. Sasuke wanted to be the person she would always choose. No matter what. He sat up, forcing the girl to straddle his lap. They were still separated from the thin fabric of his cover, though. "I want both." Mayu chuckled lightly, smiling. Her hands touched his shoulders.

"You're so greedy, Sasuke," she whispered. Her head tilted to the side, breath stroking his ear. He didn't shudder lightly until she pressed her lips against his earlobe. She then slowly trailed kisses along his jaw until she came to a stop at the corner of his lips. The kunoichi grinned, crossing her arms around his neck. "But I cannot give the second kiss."

"Why?" His hands gripped her upper arms. Dark eyes bore into her blue ones. Still, she continued to smile. Sasuke's hold slackened. "It's because… you don't love me."

"Yes. That is the reason. You must work hard to gain my heart, Uchiha Sasuke. At the moment, I see you as nothing more than a potential friend. That won't change until you do something about it."

"Do something about it?" Sasuke repeated. "I'm dreaming, aren't I?"

"Yes. You are."

"Damn."

Sasuke's eyes shot open as he sat up. He looked around his darkened room. He was alone. A heavy sigh came forth. His hand reached up, fingers pressing against his forehead. This was strange, wasn't it? He was Uchiha Sasuke. Most of this life, things had been handed to him. If not, he would find a way to obtain what he wanted. Jutsu, strong opponents, equipment, money—eventually, what he wanted had come to him without much effort. Mayu was different. She wasn't normal, nor was she an object to just give away and receive. She wasn't like most girls either. For the first time since he was a child, he would have to work hard. A smirk appeared despite the thought. He had never liked how easy things came to him, anyway. The rewards were so much more gratifying when great effort was exerted. Just like when he was finally able to properly perform that jutsu in front of his father, his pride would swell when Mayu fell for him. As a child, he had been hesitant, even in denial, about his feelings for the girl. However, years had passed and things had changed. He wasn't a child anymore. And neither was she. A grinning image of Mayu appeared in his mind. Sasuke shut his eyes. This time around, he wouldn't deny or be hesitant. Holding back—that's something he wouldn't do. Then a thought occurred to him.

How the hell did you woo a girl, anyway?

0-0

Mayu glanced at the Uchiha, walking next to her. He had remained quiet after greeting the rest of them. Sai, too, had become quiet after he greeted them. The kunoichi scratched her cheek. Perhaps the atmosphere was a bit awkward. Naruto wasn't with them at the moment to break the ice either. At the moment, he was training with Kakashi and Yamato. It was special training that only someone like him could do. This had been explained yesterday while they were visiting Kakashi in the hospital. Naruto had jumped at the chance to get stronger, so it would just be the three of them. Now that she thought about it, it was more than a little awkward. It didn't help any that people stared as they made their way through the streets of the Leaf village. Well, the treacherous ninja had suddenly returned home. It was no wonder why citizens and ninja alike stared. Could Sasuke be uncomfortable, or did he even care? Admittedly, she was still confused about the whole thing. Well, not confused. More like, she was still in transition. She imagined that everyone would be like that for some time due to the Uchiha's presence. _"But… I'm his precious friend, right? I should try to make him feel comfortable, shouldn't I?"_she thought. The kunoichi then glanced at Sai, whom was on her left side. _"But being on a team where two people are alike… Wi__ll I be okay with them without Naruto?"_

Before she knew it, they were standing outside the Hokage's office. Neither one of her teammates looked as though they were going to open the door, so Mayu took the initiative to knock. Tsunade's voice came from within, telling her that it was okay to enter. When she opened the door, she was surprised to see two other people in the room as well. She recognized them as Tenten and Neji, half of Team Gai. The other half wasn't there to her disappointment. She rather liked Lee. "Good, you're here." As usual, Tsunade sat behind her desk. The three walked into the office and stood beside the two who were already there. "As you've probably already noticed, both teams are missing members. Since that is the case, I am, for this mission, combining the two teams. Work well with each other. This is important."

"Important…?" Tenten repeated. "How so?"

"The client happens to be someone who donates to the Leaf village. The donation to our economy is smaller than most, but a donation is a donation. Our client is to be treated with respect. This is their first time in the Leaf village."

"Their? As in plural?" Mayu questioned.

"Yes."

"May we ask the reason?" Sai spoke.

"You may ask yourself. They should arrive any moment now." As if on cue, there came a knocking at the door. After Tsunade made the go ahead, the door opened. Three people made an entrance. The one in the middle was shorter than the other two. The person dressed in all black, form-fitting clothes, showing that she was female. However, she wore a black and red porcelain mask, hiding her identity. The whole mask looked like the yin yang symbol with slits where the eyes should be. The men behind her wore black suits and black sunglasses.

Mayu tilted her head to the side, examining. She didn't know why, but they seemed familiar. She couldn't put her finger on it, though. It was probably nothing to be concerned about. A squeal coming from her left snapped her out of her thoughts anyway. The squeal had come from Tenten, and had gathered everyone else's attention as well. Her hands were clasped together in front of her. Sparkles seemed to appear around the older kunoichi. "I can't believe it!" she exclaimed. "It's Mine-chan!"

"Mi… Ne?" Mayu murmured. "Who?"

"How could you _not_ know?" Tenten questioned, equipped with a scoff. Mayu's expression turned sour. "She was super popular a year ago when she came out with two singles. 'On Top' and 'Going Down' were so awesome!"

"So then she's a singer?" Neji crossed his arms. "I have no interests in those types of things." Tenten glowered at her teammate. He remained as stoic as usual despite the fact.

"Anyway, I heard she was coming out with an entire album this year! Oh my gosh!" She let out another squeal. "I'm so excited to meet you!"

"Thank you," the girl finally spoke. "I had no idea that my music expanded into the ninja world." She gave a humble bow. "Please take care of me." She lifted her upper body and gestured towards the man behind her. "This is my manager." She then gestured towards the shorter man. "He is my stylist."

"Stylist…? But you always wear the same outfit when you made public appearances," Tenten stated.

"That is because I plan to reveal my face in my music video for 'On Top,' which is debuting tonight. It's going to be a big deal, according to my company," Mine stated. "While I'm in this village, I hope you ninja won't mind if I use you for my safety and my benefit. You can do whatever until my video debut, but from then on, I'm counting on you."

0-0

She had not been expecting this. Actually, this situation irritated her a bit. Her desire had been to see the star of the show, not major side characters. Even then, there was no Rock Lee in sight. Apparently, he and his mentor, Gai, had gone to the mountains to train. That meant that she wouldn't be seeing either of them any time soon. Mentally, the masked teen sighed. There was always the other part of the plan, but… she had been looking forward to meeting her idol. It was a shame, indeed. For now, she would have to make do with these other people. Sai. Uchiha Sasuke. Tenten. Hyuga Neji. And Mary-sue.

Mine shook her head as she watched the dark-skin kunoichi try her best to irritate Hyuga Neji. For a long time, she was a fan of _Naruto_. She knew, absolutely _knew_, that this chick wasn't a part of the cast. She didn't appear to be a filler character either since she seemed close. Also, what Zetsu had said regarding Uchiha Sasuke returning back to the village… this Ishikari Mayu _had_ to be Mary-sue! Mine scoffed as she continued to stare down the perfect character. As Kishimoto-sama as her witness, she would expose and dispose of the character that spoiled the plot.

Mayu suddenly flinched, feeling a shiver go up her spine. She rubbed the back of her neck and glanced around. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Well, except the place. She never thought she would have a mission, involving going to the movie theater. The mysterious idol, Mine, had led her bodyguards to this place. According to Tenten, who was apparently a die-hard fan, she had been preparing for this video after she had released her second single. She masked teen had spent a year working on the video and album. Still, Tenten did not know the name of the album, so she was just as excited as the rest of the people gathered. The kunoichi turned away from the impassive Hyuga, bored that he had no reaction to anything she did. Mayu glanced at her own teammate. He sat down with his back against a wall, giving off an unapproachable aura. His blank stare was a bit unnerving. At least Neji frowned. It was tedious to look after an idol, after all. Sai didn't seem to mind, though. Then again, he always smiled.

Right now, many people were fussing over the masked teen, having whispered conversations, so they had nothing better to do than to watch. Sai and Tenten were currently on the other side of the many rows of seats, surveying the area. Well, Sai was doing that. Tenten seemed to be trying to figure out which of the fans was the real idol. About half of them were dressed in a similar fashion. Mayu ditched the silent Hyuga and made her way over to Sasuke. "This is your fault, you know," she told him. He merely glanced her way. "If it wasn't for you, I'd be kicking ass right now." He chuckled. He actually _chuckled_! Mayu grinned. For some reason, that made her feel good. The kunoichi scratched her cheek, looking away from the Uchiha. She supposed that they had been close then. "But really…" She nudged him with her elbow. "How long are you supposed to be on probation, anyway? I really don't want to get used to this."

"You'll have to deal with it," Sasuke replied. "It's part of our job."

"Yeah. So is painting fences and pulling weeds," Mayu retorted. The corner of her lips dropped. "Hey… When it's a better time… I have something to tell you."

"Why can't you tell me now?"

"Because it's personal. I don't want a lot of people knowing about it. But… it involves you kinda, so I think I should tell you."

"_Hm_… I look forward to it."

"I wonder if you'll have that outlook once I tell you."

Dark eyes slid over in her direction, yet Mayu kept her focus ahead. She made it sound so ominous. Whatever she had to tell him, would his reaction be that bad? Mayu seemed to think it would be. Sasuke couldn't even begin to imagine what she could have to tell them. For nearly three years, they had been separated. In that time, she had lost her memories of him. She didn't know him, and yet whatever she wanted to speak with him about had to do with him... 'kinda.' However, before he could question his teammate further, the event seemed ready to start. The crowd grew more excited when the theater became dark.

The sound of film rolling was heard even over the excited drone of fans. The white screen became black, leaving the entire auditorium in the dark. As quickly as it had come, the darkness—some of it—left due to the screen projecting an image of the idol everyone came to see. Cheers came forth from the crowd. The masked teen bowed her head before speaking. "Hello, everyone!" She waved with two hands. "It's me, Mine-chan!" The black-clad female raised her arm, holding her hand up in a gun pose, other hand holding her bicep. "_Bang_…!" Blue eyes narrowed, watching the screen. The image froze her pose. Sparkles and red petals appeared. The image's hue also became pinkish. In addition to that, 'Mine' appeared at the bottom of the screen. Had she just used… English? The cheers increased ten-fold.

"MINE-CHAN! MINE-CHAN, I LOVE YOU!"

"SHOT ME THROUGHT THE HEART~!"

Mayu stared blankly at the screen. She was pretty popular, wasn't she? It was strange that she was even though she wore a mask. Perhaps she should have gotten more information on her client before coming to this place. The film unfroze. "Thank you so much for supporting me this whole time! It means a lot to me. As a treat, I will show you a song that made me popular in my earlier days of entertaining. I hope you enjoy." With an unnecessary drum roll, the masked idol's image faded. In its place was another crowd of people. They were smaller, but still a crowd. Each person clapped their hands to the same rhythm. Then the music started. A few seconds later, her voice was heard. "We… are…"

"FIGHTING DREAMERS!"

Her mouth dropped open in surprise. That was _definitely_ English. _"Just who is this girl?"_ Mayu thought, eyes wide. How did a random idol know how to speak a different language? And what's more, the crowd of people in the video knew it. Most likely, they didn't understand what they sang along with, but they knew the words, which meant they had been exposed to the song many times. Wait a minute… This song… She knew it, herself, though it was in English. If possible, her mouth would have dropped further. No way… She had no idea who this girl was, but she was definitely, definitely a _Narutard_. But what was she doing here? How did she even get here? What was her identity?

Nearby, Hyuga Neji had similar thoughts. Up to the point, he hadn't really been paying attention. There were so many other things that he could be doing, after all. It was when he had heard that strange word did he finally look towards the screen. As more strange words entered his ears, he couldn't help but think he had heard them somewhere before. That couldn't be possible. He didn't know of this person's career. _"Ah… Could it be that I've heard Tenten humming one of this person's songs in the past?" _he thought. That seemed likely. Multiple times, his teammate had tried to meditate with him. In the end, though, she had always gotten bored and had begun humming. Still, even with that logical explanation, Neji's curiosity had increased.

The video came to a close, and then transitioned back to the masked teen. However, she sat differently. Before, the girl had been sitting with her back straight. Now, she was hunched over, elbows on her knees. "You like that? That was a song I performed back in the day when I was called Choko-chan." Even her voice and manner of speaking had changed. "If you haven't already guessed, this yo girl, Yasu. Make some noise for me." She extended her arm, both hands clenched into fists. Like before, the image froze. This time though, the colors were inverted. 'Yasu' appeared underneath the masked teen. As she commanded, the theater burst into cheers and applause. The picture unfroze again after a mere two seconds. "Jealous? You should be. Those people are the only ones who know what my face looks like. But don't worry. You'll be seeing my face soon enough. And you'll _like_ it!"

"YASU~! SO COOL!"

"Until then, enjoy something my company has put together for you, with and without my permission."

Her last statement generated laughs as her face disappeared. For the next thirty to forty minutes, something akin to a documentary was shown. Mostly, it was people, whom worked with the mysterious teen, giving their opinions in a comedic fashion. Other times, it turned serious and her sempais and kouhais alike stated that they didn't know too much about her. They had said the mask gave her an unapproachable feeling, so it wasn't a surprise that she didn't have friends within the company. Despite that, the documentary showed many clips of the masked teen working hard on either singing or choreography. Some of the other idols in the company looked forward to seeing her face, though the prettier ones worried if she might be prettier than they were.

Neji inaudibly sighed, shaking his head. He would never understand this type of world. However, what he could understand that this idol had two personalities. Though they had never seen her face, the people that gave their opinions of her had stated that they were there when she had suddenly switched from Mine to Yasu or vice versa, which had scared them a bit. The Hyuga recalled hearing Tenten saying something about it before after they received the mission to protect her. Apparently, it was something that made her popular. According to his teammate, Mine was the pop star and behaved politely, while Yasu was the rock star who had the danced skills. The combination in one person had added to the appeal, along with being mysterious. Perhaps the president of this company was a great image maker? Finally, it was time for the main event. The music video that everyone came to see, along with the big reveal of Mine/Yasu's identity.

Everyone's telling me

I should be

Somebody I don't wanna be

The video went on, opening with several young girls playing with toys. However, their toys were snatched away from them because of what they were. For example, one girl played with a toy syringe and was wearing a white coat, looking very much like doctor. Another child played with a toy sword. These items were snatched away by an unknown person. The unknown person then pointed to more 'appropriate' toys, which were dresses, teddy bears, baby dolls—more girly things. All that happened in slow motion.

I feel you watching my

Every move

The pressure's coming down on me

I'm much more than the girl next door you see

The young girls suddenly stood up, running out of the room they were in. They ran down a hallway in slow motion. The camera caught their front, back, and sides as they moved. Finally, they stopped in front of a large staircase. They exchanged looks, and then began to climb.

Don't you tell me what to do

Gonna make my decisions on my own

Are you ready? 

Cuz I'm ready to move up!

The music video went on, almost randomly switching from the girls to the dancing scenes as the words flooded the theater. Many fans sang along. Neji subtly triggered his advanced bloodline to scan the audience. His client was still seating in the midst of the crowd, pretending to be a fan as well. It was an added precaution in case the big revealed caused a riot. His client suddenly clasped her hands together. His eyes looked back at the screen. Her sudden anxiousness meant that the reveal was coming up now.

You can't judge me by the way

That I look on the exterior—no

I~~

Just can't take it anymore!

The masked was removed. The audience took inhaled sharply at the same time. However, the camera focused on her side, so really all that was visible was her long brown hair, covering her face. Then the music completely stopped and the screen went black. Before disappointed groans could happen, the music began again. This time, it was a different sound. The idol appeared on the screen again. She was dancing alone now to the beat of the song. Even without the mask, her face wasn't visible because her head was tilted down as she danced.

All my girls on top

If you're feeling me

Throw your hands up high—yeah!

Go baby!

Girl rise up!

Throw your hands up

Do you like that?

Free your mind today

Don't be afraid to take the lead, girl!

Go baby! Go baby!

Yea~ Yeah!

And then it happened. Her head snapped up as she held the 'Yeah.' The entire theater was quiet, shocked at what they saw. Long dark brown hair, warm brown skin, and light brown eyes. Neji, too, stared in shock as the video went on. No longer did the idol wear her mask. She freely danced and sang, showing her face. Several blurred memories raced through the Hyuga's mind. One memory in particular stuck with him.

_You remind me of… chocolate._

_I've never seen so many shades of chocolate, not on a person._

"It's her," he whispered. "Yaya… chan."

I'm gonna make this happen!

Who says it can't be girls on top?

Girls on top…

Girls on top…

Girls on top…

The video faded to black. It was over, and yet the audience made not a sound. No reaction at all? Was it that bad? Were they that surprised? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all? Just when all hope seemed lost, the entire theater exploded into excited cheering, giving standing ovations. The idol remained in her seat, breathing a sigh of relief. _"Take that, Kakuzu-sama!"_

**Speaking of which, don't forget about them and stick to our plan****.**

"_Yes, ma'am!"_

0-0

"I was really surprised, seeing your face, Mine-chan!" Tenten exclaimed. "I never thought you would look so different!" The girl only stopped slurping her noodles for a moment and nodded. "Still, I bet your popularity will definitely increase with this debut. Congratulations on your success! Uh… I'm a really big fan… so I was wondering if I could know your real name." She replied, but her mouth was full of food. "What? Could you repeat that?" Tenten chuckled nervously.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I said my real name is Yasmine."

"_Yasmine…?"_ Neji thought, furrowing his brow. Strange as it was, it didn't seem familiar to him. The only name he could recall was 'Yaya-chan.' So then perhaps it had been a nickname. Now that he thought of it, only a child would come up with such a thing. This girl, Yasmine, though, was the same girl he had known as a child. It had to be her. Despite remembering her after his first chuunin exam and wanting to find her, Neji had believed that he wouldn't see her again. After all, she had disappeared suddenly, leaving not a clue that she had ever existed in the first place. But here she was, right beside him.

Had she been hiding all this time behind that mask? Had she forgotten him? That seemed to be the case. If she had remembered him, then their reunion would have gone differently. Neji stared aimlessly into his broth as his teammate and old friend continued to converse. Yasmine had decided not to attend the celebratory party. Instead, she had come to a ramen stand, excitedly saying that she wanted to try the famous Ichiraku recipe. Admittedly, Neji had heard of this place through Hinata. She had visited often, sometimes suggesting that he go with her. He hadn't, however. The life of a jounin was more time-consuming than most believed.

In any case, because the client had wanted to come to this stand, five ninja had followed. She had even paid for their meals in excitement. Ishikari Mayu had happily accepted the offer. Uchiha Sasuke refused. Their pale teammate didn't seem to mind; though, he seemed not to mind pretty much anything. This Sai person was strange and mostly kept to himself. "So what do you plan on doing after this?" Tenten questioned. Yasmine lifted her bowl and drank the rest of the broth. Releasing a satisfied sigh as she set the bowl back down, she turned to the kunoichi.

"I don't really know… I haven't planned on doing anything after the album is released. I've worked so hard this past year that I kinda want a vacation. Maybe a permanent one," she answered, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. "I'm sure all the hype about me will die soon, anyway."

"No way! Your first single empowered females everywhere! Because of you, there was an increase of girls enrolling into ninja academies all around the world!" Tenten gushed. "You're admirable!"

"Hey, hey, don't feed my ego. She has a big enough head already," Yasmine chuckled. She stood up, after giving thanks for the food. "It's late. I should head back to my hotel now. My manager's probably getting antsy not knowing where I am. See you guys tomorrow. Your real mission starts then."

"Hey, wait!" Mayu turned in her seat. Yasmine stopped her movement from leaving. "You're right. It is late, and you're unmasked. I'll walk you."

"That's not necessary. I'm sure all of you have more important things to do. Besides, you're not finished with your ramen. Put it in your mouth—enjoy that," she responded.

"I'll go," Neji volunteered. "Your hotel is near my home. It is no inconvenience."

"But I wanted to do it!" Mayu complained, frowning.

"I want to do it! You guys didn't even know about her in the beginning!" Tenten protested.

Whilst the two kunoichi began to bicker back and forth, Neji quickly finished off his bowl, stood up, and ushered the client into the street. "Allow me to escort you," he requested. "It is a part of my mission." Her brown eyes stared at him for a moment. Then she shrugged. For a few minutes, the two teens walked in silence. Neji glanced at his client out of the corner of his eye. She stared ahead with a small smile on her face. The Hyuga returned his focus to the path before them. "What made you decide to release your music video in the Leaf village?" She may have looked his way then, but Neji kept his stare straight.

"I thought you weren't interested in these types of things," Yasmine said.

"I'm only curious."

"_Hm_… Well, I guess I just wanted to come to this place—see the attractions."

"There are other attractions in other villages. What made you pick this particular one?" Neji pressed. He directed his gaze her way again. She was, indeed, looking at him as they walked. "Again, I am merely curious."

"I see… I suppose I can't really answer that then," Yasmine muttered. "I don't know why, but Konoha feels familiar."

"You've been here before?"

"No."

The genius stopped. She moved a few paces ahead before she realized that he was no longer by her side. Her head turned, facial expression showing her confusion. "So then… You do not remember me," Neji stated. His eyes lowered to the ground, yet he could still sense her questioning gaze on his person. "You do not remember our shared memories." Finally, his gaze returned to her.

"I think…" She tilted her head to the side. "I think you're confusing me with that Mayu girl. Though I am lighter than her, our skin is similar." No. He wasn't confusing them. The way she moved her head when confused about something—that idiosyncrasy was something Ishikari Mayu did not do. Neji narrowed his eyes, and then activated his advanced bloodline. "_Huh_? Neji-san, what are you doing?"

Out of nowhere, the ninja rushed forward, causing Yasmine's eyes to widen. Instead of running away, the foreigner moved forward to meet his attack head on. Of course, he didn't use any chakra. He didn't intend on hurting her, after all. His right hand collided with her left hand. Then he moved to hit her with his other hand. Like before, her other hand blocked it. Now, the two were locked in, struggling to push the other away. Then it happened. The determining factor to whether or not the foreigner was his childhood friend was something he let happened. She, without looking away, placed her right leg behind his left, and then pushed. This effectively caused the Hyuga to fall to the ground. Though he knew it was her, Neji still felt stunned. After all this time, she had finally returned here.

"Why…?" she murmured. Her fingers clenched around his wrists. "Why? Por que?"

"I know for sure now… You're Yaya-chan."

In the middle of the street, ignoring the stares of bystanders, the two teens merely stared at one another. Slowly, her eyes expanded yet again as she looked down at the shinobi. He returned her gaze, unwavering in his confidence. This person was his friend of the past. He had no doubt now. Her appearance, the strange language she spoke, her mannerisms and movements—these things all contributed to her being the girl that had disappeared from his life all those years ago. Did she realize now? The foreigner slowly sat up, removing her fingers from his wrists.

"Neji… Meji…"

0-0

I wonder if you've noticed the underlined sentences. Those sentences are in English since Yasmine is and will be speaking English as the story goes on. So why did I make her an idol? Why did I bring her in at this moment? Well, admittedly, I've been influenced heavily by the My Life as Haruno Sakura counterpart called Team 7: Revolution! To find out what I mean by that, you should go read it. It'll make sense to you how I decided Yasmine's... lifestyle at the moment. But most likely, I won't continue to use that concept for Yasmine.

This chapter was completely new and hadn't been in the original story at all. Hence, why it took so long to get out. Oh, and my job's kinda working me like an animal all of a sudden. But the next chapter, maybe the next two chapters, will be updated quicker seeing as how I'm not changing that much about it. Look forward to that patient reviewers and readers.


	15. Thanks For The Memories-

Pain... Immense pain... Her whole body ached. Even a slight twitch sent her mind reeling in protest. She couldn't move, and yet she could feel the heavy rain fall, not helping to take away some of the pain she felt. She couldn't even remember why he had beaten her so badly this time. _"Eh... Where am I...?"_ she thought. Her body shook. Her breath came out deep and ragged. She had realized she wasn't in her room. The rain was her first clue. This, of course, came as a shock to her. Normally, she would end up in her room. She tried to sit up, but... the pain... Something was wrong with her back.

_Come back here, you lil bitch!_

_"Right... I tried to run away this time, but he threw something at me,"_ the girl thought. _"It was really sharp."_ The small girl tried to open her eyes, but the rain was making it hard. She had to turn over, and so she did. She slowly lifted her body off the ground. It hurt just to do that. She looked around. Grass... Trees... Darkness. "Night time," she whispered. "Woods..."

"Hey! It's a child!" an unfamiliar voice reached the child's ears. Not only was the voice unfamiliar... the language, although she had heard it before, was not her native tongue. She turned her head slightly to look back. What she saw was three masked people looking down at her. They didn't seem to mind the rain at all.

"She's bleeding...!" another voice. The girl recognized this voice as a female's.

_"Wait... Daddy taught me some of this!"_ she thought, watching as the three moved closer to her. _"What was it...? I don't remember!"_

_Kon'nichiwa, my little princess!_

The girl's eyes widened. She felt arms pick her up. A hiss of disgust was heard. "She's bleeding badly. Who would do this to a child?" The voice sounded slightly angry. That's when she realized what language these masked people were speaking. She had heard it numerous times before because of her father's occupation. He had been fond of teaching her.

"She's talking Japanese!" the girl suddenly shouted. The one holding the girl reared back in shock.

"She's a foreigner!" he exclaimed in surprise.

"What's a foreigner doing here? Can she understand us?" It was a female's voice.

"Where are your parents, little one?"

"It can't understand you, moron..." another male voice.

"She's not an it!"

"Whatever..."

The girl's eyes narrowed slightly. She could understand bits and pieces of what the three were saying. All three of them were wearing mask. They looked so suspicion, and yet... What could she do? Her father and mother always taught her not to talk to strangers, but they were adults, right? She could trust him... They couldn't be like her uncle.

"What's a Yasmine?"

"Name... Yasmine…" she clarified.

"... I'm taking her to the hospital," the one holding her stated. "You two go inform the Hokage. I think he needs to know about this."

"Right!" The two others said this in sync, and then took off. The girl watched in amazement as they did. They had seemed to just fly into the air!

"Super heroes!" she exclaimed.

"_Uh_... let's get you cleaned up... Yasmine."

0-0

A hospital; Yasmine had instantly recognized it. Almost everything was white. Outside, the rain still poured, but at least she was dry now. The masked man had brought her here. Almost immediately, nurses whisked her away. She had been cleaned; her back injury had been cleaned as well. They even gave her new clothes. _"Nice people,"_ Yasmine thought, staring at the ceiling. Her uncle hadn't come like she had expected. In fact, it had been well over three hours, and yet he hadn't come to claim her. Yasmine was glad for this. There was no telling how much trouble she could get into.

The young girl turned on her side. Her back still hurt a little, so the doctor had told her not to lay on it. Well, that's what she hoped she heard. Her father had taught her some Japanese, but only some. But why was she in a place where they spoke in a different language? How did she get here? Before Yasmine could try to remember, however, someone suddenly came into the room. "Hello, little one," an old man came in, followed by two other, younger men.

"..." Yasmine stared as the three moved closer. She didn't know why, but the old guy looked important. But then again, the other two looked different as well. They had _identical_ head wear. They seemed as suspicious as the people with the masks. But the old guy, he had a kind face. But to Yasmine, all old people had kind faces... Well, except for old Mister Rogers. Though he had been nice, the scowl, seeming permanent, made many wary of him.

The young girl shook her head a bit. This was no time to be thinking about Mister Rogers! "Can you tell me what your name is, little one?" the old man asked. Yasmine tilted her head in slight confusion. Did he just tell her to undress? No, that couldn't be it.

"Ojisan... _ano_..." Her words felt strange, even to her. "Can you repeat, please?" Yasmine asked, bowing her head slightly, suddenly feeling shy.

The old man looked at the small girl in surprise. She had such a polite tone, not to mention her words. It was, indeed, rare to hear a child speak as if they're an adult. Whoever taught her the language must have talked in a polite voice as well. "Of course." The old man nodded his head, giving a friendly smile. "I asked for your name. I would be glad to know it." Yasmine blinked. She opened her mouth.

"Yasmine... Yasmine is my name, Ojisan," she replied. "I'm happy to meet you. Please take care of me."

"Okay, then... I am the leader of this village—the Hokage," the old man stated. "These two behind me are ninja, so you do not have to be afraid of them." The two ninja bowed slightly.

"Kohage...? Village...? Ninja?" Yasmine repeated in a confused manner.

"It's _Hokage_!" one of the ninja exclaimed, causing Yasmine to rear back in slight fright. It was the same voice from before. The one that called someone a moron... Despite clearly being a man, he looked similar to a woman. It seemed odd that his voice came out so deep. "He is the leader of this village!"

"Stop that at once, Jano! You're scaring her," the Hokage reprimanded, giving him a stern glance. He faced Yasmine again with a much gentler face. "Now, what village are you from? Where are your parents?"

"I am not from a village, Hokage-sama..." Yasmine said, still confused. "I'm from... a city. My mother and father are both dead."

The girl's brown eyes welled up with tears. Just the memory of her parents' death caused sadness. She, herself, had been there to witness it. And those images wouldn't go away... Not now, not ever. The Hokage noticed her downcast eyes right away. He coughed lightly, trying to get her attention. "Do you happen to know where you are?" he asked. The small girl shook her head. "You are currently in the Leaf village."

"And there are ninja here?" Yasmine asked, blinking her tears away. The Hokage nodded.

"There are not any ninja where you're from, are there?" he asked. Again, Yasmine shook her head. Sure, she had, at one time, watched movies with ninja. But they weren't real. Her mother always told her that the movies were never real. "_Hm_... How very peculiar..." the Hokage muttered to himself. The countries surrounding them, he was sure, had ninja in their villages. How could a child possibly make their way, alone, to Konoha? Yes, she was hurt when ANBU found her, but still... To actually survive? It didn't seem possible at all.

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama..." Yasmine's voice made the old man look her in the eyes. "... I have to... potty..."

"Potty...?" Jano repeated. "What the hell is that?" Yasmine saw the confused looks coming from all three men.

_"What's the word...?"_ she thought, looking deep in thought. _"Oh wait!"_ Yasmine hopped off the bed. "Urinate. I have to urinate." The two younger men behind the Hokage choked on their own spit.

"Nani?" Jano yelled. "Don't go saying things like that in a casual manner! What's wrong with you, brat? Just say you have to pee like every other kid!" Poor Jano had never met a child who talked as if they were an adult. They were still supposed to be sucking their thumbs and calling out to their mama! Well, Jano was sure that that Uchiha kid didn't do that. He was way beyond creepy, so Jano was sure he didn't have a _correct_ childhood.

"Pee..." Yasmine said. "I will remember this. Thank you… mommy."

"_What_? What did you just call me?" Jano roared. "You little...!" The other ninja had to hold him back.

"I have one more question before you go about your business." the Hokage said, ignoring his ninja's outburst. Yasmine turned back to look at him. "How did you get those bruises on your body, not to mention the injury on your neck and back? Can you tell me?"

Yasmine flinched, and the Hokage noticed. "I... do not remember." she fibbed. She remembered how she received those bruises, alright. It was something that was going to stay with her forever. At least, that's what her father told her. "I fell asleep, and then woke up in the woods."

"I see..." the Hokage muttered, closing his eyes. "That's it then. You may go. Jano, show her the way."

Jano frowned, but nodded his head. It was an order from the Hokage, after all. He had no choice but to follow. Yasmine hesitantly walked towards Jano. He nodded to her, and then turned to leave. The small girl quickened her pace in order to catch up with the man. The two left the Hokage and the other ninja behind.

"Hokage-sama... What are you planning to do about this situation?" the nameless ninja asked.

"I'm not sure as of now." the old man answered truthfully.

"Perhaps we should put her in the orphanage?"

"No, no... That girl is way too different. Putting her there would cause uproar, and besides, the orphanage is still too packed because of the Kyuubi's attack," the Hokage answered. He bowed his head. What an awful day and night that had been... "Although she looks different, for now, she is a part of this village. I do not know what is going to happen to her, but... From now on, her name will be Yasume."

"But why, sir?" the ninja questioned, confused.

"She, at least, has to have a name similar to ours. Perhaps with a name like ours, she will not be judged so quickly. Also, it is obvious that she has come from an abusive relationship," the Hokage answered. "If someone does come to claim her, a thorough investigation will be launched. Beating children with the intent to harm them will not be tolerated. Go—inform Jano and her of this."

"Hai!"

"And also..." the Hokage almost smirked. "Tell Jano that he is her guardian until instructed otherwise." The ninja didn't hold back his smirk.

"Right away, Hokage-sama!"

0-0

Two weeks had come and gone. Yasmine had quickly learned a lot more of the language, even some slang phrases. Jano had been an unwilling teacher. Despite that, Yasmine still learned quite a few things... when he wasn't on missions, of course. Though his teachings, she had learned enough to know not to call him 'mommy' anymore. Still, it was fun to tease him for some reason. Anyway, tomorrow, she would definitely ask him what chakra was and how to use it. But for now, all she could do was wait. The man was currently on another mission. He usually was only gone for about half a day, so Yasmine would be alone for that amount of time. It wasn't bad, though. Jano had enough food in his apartment to feed an army. Not to mention that there was a park near his home, so Yasmine could go whenever she wanted. That's where it got strange.

Why was she, a four-year-old, allowed to walk around without any adult supervision? Well, Yasmine had been only here and the park that was nearby, but still! It seemed as if adults didn't care about what the children did in the village, as long as they were home by dinner time. They were honestly being treated like young adults! Once, Yasmine even saw some kids her age playing with sharp objects. Kunai, she recalled them naming the weapons. Yasmine didn't think it was a good idea to have those, so she stayed away. Her parents would have had a stroke if they caught her playing with those things. If they were here, that is.

Yasmine sighed heavily as she stared out of the window. Here it was, almost lunch time and Jano still hadn't returned. This was the time he usually came home. Lunch time meant hot lunch. Yasmine could not cook herself a hot lunch. Everything was in a language she didn't understand. She hardly could read things in her own language, let alone this one. Yasmine sighed again. "Boring..." she muttered, forcing her eyes to stay open. When Jano was away, she would only speak in her native tongue. She didn't know why, but something... told her not to forget who she was. A dream she had had told her not to forget. Outside, she saw a couple of children playing in the park. "Maybe... they could let me play with them."

The girl hopped off the chair she was sitting on. Struggling all the way, she pushed the chair over to the front door. She jumped back on the chair and stood up, so that her small hand could reach the lock. She unlocked it, and then turned the doorknob. The door opened, causing the girl to smile at her accomplishment. Yasmine jumped down, once again, from the chair, slipped on her shoes, and then opened the door fully, so she could get through. She closed the door behind her.

Outside of Jano's apartment was a stool. A stool meant only for her. Yasmine stood on the stool and leaned against the door. She pulled a key out of the pocket of her shorts. After she locked the door, she jumped off the stool. Maybe, just maybe she'd gain a friend or two. It had been two weeks, and she was getting lonely anyway.

0-0

A small child, known as Hyuga Neji, walked alongside his father, Hyuga Hizashi. There destination...? Well, they really didn't have one at the moment. Neji's father was only showing the young boy around the village. "Father..." Neji began. "Forgive me for asking, but... Why are you showing me around the village?" The boy had been quiet up until now, so he felt that he could ask his question.

Hyuga Hizashi stared down at his son, causing the boy's gaze to waver. "Neji..." he began. "A shinobi must always be aware of his or her surroundings. If not, the entire mission could go wrong. You, being my little genius and a Hyuga, must learn this earlier on." Neji nodded his head with a smile on his face. He loved to hear his father praise him.

"Yes!" he exclaimed in response, turning his eyes. This time, however, he took in everything in range. Hizashi chuckled lightly at his son's tactics. The two continued to walk around the village, side by side. Pretty soon, it was almost noon, and Neji's stomach began to growl. He knew lunch time was a half a hour away, so he didn't say anything. The young Hyuga blushed in embarrassment. Hopefully, his father hadn't heard that... Hizashi stopped, causing Neji to stop, also.

"I'm going to get us lunch, Neji," he said. The young boy looked up at his father in question. "I want you to go to Chigiri Park, and wait for me there. After we eat, we will continue with our observations."

"But..." Neji muttered.

"What is it?"

"You've never... left me alone," Neji stated. After all, he was four this year. "Why now, father?"

"Because I know my genius can handle it. You were paying attention earlier, right?" Hizashi asked. Neji nodded his head rapidly. "Then wait for me at Chigiri Park." Father left son, alone, in the middle of the street. Neji watched his father's departing figure until he completely disappeared with the crowd. _"I won't let you down, father!"_ Neji thought, turning his back. With a determined look in his eyes, the young Hyuga set off.

A lot of time passed before he made it to the designated park. Neji panted lightly as he sat on one of the park benches, near the playground. _"Maybe I should've asked for directions__…__ I would have gotten here a whole lot sooner,"_ he thought, finally catching his breath. He had been searching for about fifteen minutes for one park. Once he realized where the park was, it also dawned on him that his father might be wondering were he was. After all, in his little mind, he was late.

Neji looked around. His father was no where in sight. Maybe it was his father who had gotten lost...? He instantly shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts. _"There's no way father would get lost! He's the greatest!"_ he thought, nodding his head. To pass the time, Neji looked around the park—the playground to be more specific, and noticed a bunch of kids, his age, playing. He felt a sudden urge to go play as well, but no! He had a duty—a duty to wait for his father.

So the young Hyuga settled to just watching the other children play. That's when he noticed someone else. A lone child, sitting by herself, on the edge of the sandbox. Neji continued looking at the girl, and noticed that every so often, she would glance at the other children. He stared on in curiosity. Never before had he seen someone with that skin tone. Her skin was darker than the soft dirt she was sitting near, perhaps even darker.

The girl had short dark brown hair, and from what he saw when she turned, light brown eyes. She was different. Very different. The girl suddenly turned towards Neji, almost making him jump, but he kept his eyes on her. The girl on the other hand, quickly diverted her eyes. Neji was slightly shocked by her reaction, but didn't look away. Seconds later, the girl turned her brown eyes back to him. He gave her a friendly smile, and surprisingly, the girl returned it. The young Hyuga found himself getting up from the bench. His small feet moved towards the girl. As he walked over to the girl, she stood, and dusted her shorts off.

0-0

As it turns out, coming to the park to make friends was a bad idea. Yasmine had come, but the children there turned her down. They were boys, and they said she had 'cooties,' so she couldn't play with them. Yasmine sat down on the edge of the sandbox. It wasn't fair. Just because she wasn't a boy, she couldn't have a friend? Children were as cruel as adults sometimes... Yasmine sighed heavily. Every so often, she would glance at the boys that told her that she couldn't play. She still wanted to make a friend, even if they were being mean to her. She sighed again. It didn't look as if that were going to happen. Perhaps she should just go back to the apartment and wait for Jano.

Suddenly, Yasmine felt as if she was being watched. She turned back to the kids, who were still playing, not paying the least bit of attention to her. _"It's not them,"_ she thought. Yasmine turned her whole body sharply in order to catch her watcher. Who she saw was a boy, around her age, staring intensively at her. He had long brown hair, and a pair of white eyes. He also had bandages wrapped around his forehead. Yasmine quickly turned her eyes away.

She hadn't seen eyes like those before. They were... pretty and yet a tiny bit scary. Was the boy still staring at her? Yasmine turned her eyes back to the white-eyed boy. He was still staring, except this time, he smiled. The boy was smiling at her! Since coming to this strange land, no kid had ever smiled at her! Yasmine bit her lip, and then hesitantly smiled back. The boy suddenly hopped off the park bench. He was moving towards her! Yasmine could have cried in joy, but that probably would've scared her potential friend away. She stood up and dusted off her shorts as he came closer. "Go-Good morning…" Yasmine greeted. She could get away with saying that since it wasn't noon yet.

"Good morning," the boy responded, nodding his head. A silence followed after that. Yasmine honestly didn't know what to say. She never made friends back home since her father traveled a lot, taking her mother and her along with him. When they died and her uncle became her care-taker, Yasmine had been afraid of making friends. She was afraid of what her uncle might do. But her uncle wasn't here, was he? "You remind me of... chocolate," the boy suddenly announced. Yasmine's eyes widened, completely stunned.

"Ch-Chocolate...?" she repeated, confused.

"Yes! I've never seen so many shades of chocolate before, not on a person," the boy answered. Yasmine shifted her weight. What could she say after that? Was it even a compliment? Well, two can play at that game!

"_Um_… Your eyes are weird-looking," Yasmine muttered, staring at the boy. His eyes weren't white as she first thought. They were actually a very light lavender-color. From far away, they just looked white.

"They're not weird-looking!" the boy protested. Oh no! Had she said something wrong? She thought it was a game. She didn't want to get him upset! "My father says that with these eyes, I'll become a genius!"

"A genius?" Yasmine replied, trying to amend what she had said.

"Yup! And what about you?" the boy muttered, slightly narrowing his eyes. "You're the weird-looking one... Are you a... a... for... for..." Yasmine blinked. The boy was trying hard to say something. It must've been important because he looked as if he was thinking hard about it. Yasmine hoped his brains wouldn't explode. Her mother used to tell her that if she thought too hard on something, her brain would explode and come out of her ears. Or maybe that was sneezes... "Foreigner! That's it! Are you a foreigner?" the boy finally asked, looking quite proud that he had used a big word. Yasmine didn't respond. She stared at him, waiting until he finished looking smug. "Well, are you?"

"Kohage... I mean, Hokage-sama said that I was..." Yasmine answered, cursing herself for messing up the leader's title. The boy probably would take it as an insult. "I'm not sure what it means, though. Do you?" The boy smiled.

"Yes! It means you're not from around here." he answered, feeling smart. "My name's Hyuga Neji! What's yours?"

Oh crap! What was her name again? The Hokage had given her a new name, saying that she had to give it to anyone who asked for her name. But what was it? Jano had always called her 'brat,' so she hadn't heard the name recently at all. _"I thought mommy told me that I would never forget something!" _Yasmine thought in dismay. She noticed that Neji was starting to look irritated, though he kept smiling. "I'm... My name is Ya-Ya... _um…_ that is..." Yasmine was sure it started with a 'Ya' sound, just like her name.

Thankfully, the boy decided to help her out a little. "Yaya...?" he muttered. "Yaya-chan! I like it!" He stated, not paying attention to the horrified look that crossed Yasmine's face. She had not wanted to let him assume. That would be like lying!

"But...!" she began.

"That's a nice name," Neji continued.

Yasmine stared at his happy, smiling face for a few moments, and then shrugged. Why ruin his joy? If he liked it, then she was fine with that. She didn't want to lose a friend just on a name. "Thank you, Neji... kun?" Yasmine hesitated with the honorific.

"_Mm_!" Neji nodded his head. He was being so nice to her. This could very well be her new, and first, friend. Yasmine smiled at the thought. Neji looked as if he was going to say something, but someone was calling his name.

"Neji…! Where are you?" a voice called. The boy turned his head away. Yasmine, in curiosity, turned her head in the direction of the deep voice. She saw an older version of Neji!

_"That must be his daddy..."_ Yasmine thought.

"Excuse me..." Neji's voice made her look at him. He gave a slight bow. Yasmine did the same, not wanting to seem rude. He turned, and then dashed away. "I hope to see you again, Yaya-chan!" He waved.

"See you...!" Yasmine replied, waving back. She didn't put her arm down until he was out of her sight. She had a huge smile on her face. _"Could we be friends now?"_ she thought, giggling. Suddenly, a pair of knuckles pressed into the side of her head. Yasmine squealed in slight pain.

"Where the hell have you been, you lil brat…?" a familiar voice hissed at her. Yasmine quickly got away from the usual pain in her head.

"Why do you always do that to me, mommy?" she asked, rubbing her sore head.

"Stop calling me that!" Jano screeched, pointing a finger. "Anyway, how come you weren't home? I looked everywhere for you!" Yasmine blinked up at Jano. "Don't give me that innocent look, gaki!"

"You were worried." It was a statement.

"No, I wasn't!" Jano protested, and then grabbed her wrist. "Now let's go!" He continued, pulling her away. Yasmine followed after him obediently. She smiled as she tried to keep up with the older man. She had a friend now, and someone who seemed to care for her. For now, everything was okay in the world.

0-0

"Why the hell are you staring out that window again, brat?" Jano asked. Yasmine found it amazing that he had his back turned, and yet he knew what she was doing. She turned her head away from the window to see that Jano was still making something. Kushi dango, she remembered him calling them. She turned her head back and stared out of the window again.

"I am… looking at the park," Yasmine answered.

"Well, stop leaning out of it already!" Jano said, still not turning. "One of these days, brat, you're gonna fall out!" Yasmine promptly sat back in her chair. She hadn't even realized that she was leaning over the edge. Was she really that raring to go? "Alright, let's go."

Jano had finished preparing the food. Yasmine hopped from the chair. The man stood near the door, which was open. He carried a small basket and a blue blanket. Yasmine noticed the delicious smell coming from the basket as she got closer. Jano was a great cook. And although he never mentioned it, he loved to hear Yasmine's praise about it. He was proud of what he did with a knife, either in a kitchen, or on a battlefield.

The four-year-old went out of the apartment first and Jano followed. He gave her the basket, muttering a "Don't drop it this time, you clumsy brat." Yasmine only nodded her head as he turned to lock the door. After locking the door, Jano quickly took the basket of food from her. He did not want a repeat of what happened last time they were to eat at the park. The girl had slipped on nothing, fell down the stairs—the nurses at the hospital were glaring at him just because of a swollen ankle—and messed up the entire meal. Needless to say, the two didn't get to go to the park to eat.

The two walked down the stairs, which were conveniently located near Jano's apartment door. Next, the two walked out of the front door of the building. As they walked towards the park, Jano stared at the small girl accompanying him. She was smiling so brightly, Jano was sure that she could replace the sun. He snorted, and then looked away from her practically bouncing body. "Why are you so happy?" he asked. Yasmine turned her brown eyes to her caretaker. "Come to think of it, each time we come here for lunch, you always seem to be in a good mood. Why is that, brat?"

Wow… Four days of the two going to the park for lunch, and he finally asks why. "I want to see a friend," Yasmine answered. "He was there once, maybe he's there again. Hopefully, he'll be here this time."

"He…?" Jano muttered. He snorted again. She hadn't told him about any friend! Not that he cared or anything…

"Yes, his name is Neji," Yasmine continued.

"Neji," Jano repeated. He almost scoffed. Screw…? Whatever…! "Is he the reason I found you here that one day?" Yasmine nodded her head.

"By the way, mommy…" she began, looking slightly embarrassed.

"Don't call me that!" It seemed like a routine now.

"What is my name?" Yasmine asked, completely ignoring his protest. After all, it seemed like a routine. Jano glanced at her, confused.

"You don't remember your own name?" he questioned.

"No, I meant the one Hokage-sama gave me," the girl explained.

"_Ah_…! Clumsy and forgetful, eh? I really lucked out getting you," Jano joked. Yasmine didn't find it funny, and so she kicked him in the shins. "You little…!" He glared at her. She merely stuck her tongue out, and then ran ahead. Now, ordinarily, Yasmine would do nothing of the sort. But… She was getting used to Jano. She actually _trusted_ him. It had been almost a month since she'd come to this place. Finally, she was warming up to her caretaker. It was slightly hard to warm up to anyone after her parents had died and her uncle took her in. … Well, maybe it was really hard, but Jano had unknowingly brought down her barriers. Yasmine briefly noted that Jano had once told her about him being able to break barriers, saying that it was his job. Yasmine really didn't get that, nor did she try to.

Jano rushed after the girl, who had stopped under a tree. She had picked a shaded area to sit. Jano followed suit, and then set the basket down. Next, he laid out the blanket on the grass. Yasmine scurried on to the blue blanket and sat, slightly afraid that Jano would grind his knuckles into her head again. The man chuckled at her actions, and then crawled on to the blanket as well. He took out the food and spread it across the cover.

"So what is my name, mommy?" Yasmine asked again. Jano scowled as he pulled out chopsticks. He still didn't understand why this child just refused to call him by name. Instead, she called him _mommy_. He wasn't a woman, damn it! But… It didn't really bother him that much anymore.

"Your name is Yasume," Jano answered, handing her the chopsticks.

"_Ah_, that's right! I knew it sounded similar to my real name!" Yasmine exclaimed. "Itadakimasu…!"

The girl broke apart her chopsticks. The man gave her a small plate.

"Itadakimasu…" he said, and then pulled out a plate of his own. "So why did you wanna know?"

"_Hm_…?" Yasmine looked up from her food. Noodles hung from her mouth, causing Jano to chuckle.

"Your name, I mean," he explained. "And don't talk with your mouth full." Yasmine quickly slurped up the noodles.

"Yes, mommy," she said. "I couldn't remember that name when I introduced myself to Neji-kun, so he thinks my name is 'Yaya-chan'." Yasmine smiled. She didn't seem to mind the mistake at all, Jano noted.

"So what's this brat look like?" he asked, curious.

"Neji's not a brat! He's a genius… Well, he's gonna be!" Jano rolled his eyes at her protest. "Anyway, he has weird, but pretty, eyes and long brown hair. It's even longer than mine!" Yasmine said. Pretty eyes…? Long brown hair…? Why did that simple description sound slightly familiar to Jano's ears?

"Yaya-chan~?" A voice called, sounding slightly surprised. Yasmine nearly dropped her chopsticks in surprise. Was that…? Could it be him? Yasmine slowly turned to see a boy coming towards her. Jano nearly spit out his food in surprise.

"_A Hyuga…?" _he thought, staring as the boy moved closer.

"Neji-kun…!" Yasmine waved him over.

"_How the hell did she manage to befriend a Hyuga?" _Jano thought as the boy stopped right behind Yasmine, causing her to turn to face him. As far as Jano was concerned, all Hyuga were stuck-up, high and mighty, egotistical, and anti-social when it came to anyone other than their own freaky clan. Except that crazy partner of his…

"I knew it was you! I could recognize you right away, Yaya-chan!" Neji stated proudly. Jano's eyebrow twitched, noticing the faint blush on Yasmine face. Even with the darker skin tone, it was visible to his eyes.

"Neji-kun, how have you-"

"Neji…! Don't run off so suddenly like that," a new voice interrupted. Three pairs of eyes looked up at the newcomer. This man looked like a much older version of Neji.

"_But then again, all Hyuga look the same," _Jano thought.

"I'm sorry, father…" Neji turned to his father, looking slightly ashamed. "I suppose I was excited to see Yaya-chan again…" The boy's father finally took notice of the girl. His eyes then traveled over to Jano, who looked slightly annoyed.

"Forgive my son for the intrusion," he said, giving a slight bow.

"But-"

"Neji…!" The man's face became stern. The son quickly gave a bow of his own. Yasmine quickly stated that such things weren't necessary.

"Yes, it's quite all right, Hyuga-san," Jano agreed, waving away the bow. "Brat—I mean, Yasume has told me that your son and her are friends. There is really no point in apologizing." Neji's father nodded.

"Thank you... My name is Hyuga Hizashi," he stated.

"Jano."

"Jano…?"

"Jano," he repeated.

"ANBU…?"

"Not important."

The two children looked at their caretakers in confusion. They didn't understand what was happening between them. Both Yasmine and Neji turned to each other, hoping the other would know. Sadly, that was not the case. The two shrugged. Neji grabbed Yasmine's wrist and pulled her up. "Let's go play!" he whispered, pulling her along. Yasmine quickly set her things down before she was pulled away. Meanwhile, the two adults continued to stare each other down.

"Why are they staring at each other like that, Neji-kun?" Yasmine asked, trying to keep up with the young Hyuga.

"Oh, father always does that. I think he called it an intimidation tactic," Neji answered. He released Yasmine's wrist, allowing her to walk next to him. "You were eating lunch, right? I didn't mean to interrupt."

"_Um…_ That's okay," Yasmine said, smiling. She was just glad that she was able to see her friend again. "Ne, Neji-kun…"

"Yes?"

"My name is Yasume… I didn't mean to confuse you," she said.

"Ya-su-me…" Neji tried out the name as he climbed up the ladder to the 'big slide'. "I like Yaya-chan better," he called down. "Can I call you that, instead?" Yasmine smiled brightly as she followed Neji up.

"Sure, I don't mind at all!" she answered. Neji smiled as he sat at the top of the slide, waiting for his friend.

Not wanting to make her friend wait for her, Yasmine went slightly faster. She reached the top, and then sat behind Neji. The pale-eyed boy wrapped Yasmine's legs around him. The girl, almost as expected of her, wrapped her arms around Neji's neck. "You ready?" he asked.

"Yes!" Yasmine said, nodding her head.

The two slid down the spiraling slide at, what seemed like, the speed of light! Their shouts of glee alerted their caretakers that they were no longer beside them. "Brat…!" Jano shouted, jumping up.

"Neji…!" Hizashi raised his voice as well. Both adults believed their children to be hurt.

Neji and Yasmine landed in a tangled heap at the bottom of the slide. Luckily, the sand cushioned their landing. The two had swirly eyes and crooked smiles on their faces. Jano and Hizashi rushed over to them. "Brat…! Are you okay?" Jano asked, kneeling next to the girl. Hizashi did the same to Neji. The two children stood, stumbling away from the adults.

"Let's do that again!" they both exclaimed, dizzy. Because of their dizziness, the two stumbled right into each other. Their foreheads collided and they fell to the ground, laughing all the while. The two adults turned to each other, blinked, and then looked back at the dizzy children, who were trying to stand. Surprisingly, it was Hizashi who released a light chuckle. Jano, slightly taken aback, stared at the Hyuga.

"Neji, have fun… while you still can," he murmured, a bitter smile had surfaced on his face. Jano was very confused by this, but before he could voice his thoughts, Yasmine's voice penetrated his ears.

"Mommy, can Neji-kun eat with us?" she asked.

"_Mommy_…?" Hizashi and Neji muttered, sounding incredulous. Jano flushed as two pairs of pale eyes turned to him.

"Don't call me that in public, you brat!" he exclaimed, embarrassed. And it did not help that Hizashi chuckled again.

"Yeah, can I, father?" Neji chirped.

"Well, we do not want to-"

"Please…?" both children asked in honey-coated voices. Both parents groaned lightly. Why did that voice always work?

"Alright, he can join us, brat!" Jano muttered, standing. "That is… if Neji's father agrees."

Hizashi nodded his head as he, too, stood. "All right…!" Neji and Yasmine exclaimed, rushing back over to blanket. The two adults watched them go.

"Cute…" Jano muttered, rolling his eyes.

"But it won't last," Hizashi said, more to himself than Jano. "My poor genius…"

"Branch…?" Jano asked. Hizashi nodded, not caring that he knew or not.

0-0

As you've realized, this chapter-and the next one-takes place in the past. The backstory between the two will stay the same, so updates will be quicker! Haha! I'm awesome, I know. I'll try to have the next one out before I leave for my vacation, which is coming up pretty soon. Looking for those reviews! Again, let me remind you. Underlined words will be in English.


	16. Even Though They Weren't So Great

"Pay close attention, brat…! I'm about to show you what chakra is," Jano said. Yasmine quickly looked at Jano, but her eyes were averted due to a passing blue butterfly. "Brat…!" The child's attention, again, went to the man. Jano sighed heavily. "You ask me what chakra is, and yet you don't pay attention. You really are a brat…" he muttered.

"I'm sorry…! I'll pay attention!" Yasmine exclaimed. The two were in a forest. Yasmine's caretaker had already told her about chakra. The young girl fell asleep about three times during the explanation. Jano was now about to show her how to work chakra. He was standing, hands on his hips, looking slightly annoyed. Yasmine gave him a nervous smile, hoping he wouldn't grind his knuckles in her skull again. The man sighed heavily, closing his eyes.

"Alright, let's see what you remembered," he said. "Two weeks ago, I told you what chakra is used for. What is it used for? And careful when you answer, brat. I won't show you how to use it if you answer incorrectly."

"Chakra… is used to… perform jutsu," Yasmine answered. "Every living thing contains chakra. Ninja are able to perform superhuman feats with their chakra. Normal people have chakra, but they don't use it."

"_Hm_… I thought you were sleeping when I told you that," Jano commented, and then shrugged. "Well, luckily for you, that was correct. Now I'm going to show you a jutsu. It's the most basic of jutsu. _Clone Jutsu_!"

"Clone…? What's that?" Yasmine asked.

"It's an illusion that looks just like the user who uses the jutsu," Jano answered. He performed hand signs. A replica of the ninja appeared beside him. Yasmine's eyes lit up in fascination.

"Is it real?" she asked, poking the clone with her finger. Her small finger went right through the clone; it disappeared, causing her brown eyes to widen.

"Of course it's not real, brat! What do you think _illusion _means?" Jano asked. The small girl gave him a blank stare, causing him to sigh. "Anyway, even with the most basic of jutsu like that, you need to use chakra."

"If it's basic, then can I do it?" Yasmine asked.

"_Eh_… no, you can't. Even with the right training, the most you could accomplish with your chakra is with taijutsu. Your chakra reserves are just too tiny," Jano answered. "Attempting to do this jutsu at your age will cause a major strain on your weak little body."

"I'm not weak…!" Yasmine pouted, crossing her arms. "Neji-kun said I was just fine!"

"Does Neji _Meji_ let treat you gently?" Jano asked with a grin. Yasmine looked slightly surprised, and then the nervous look appeared. She rubbed the back her head, causing Jano to roll his eyes. Then she frowned, asking what that had to do with anything. The man chuckled lightly. "That's because he doesn't think you're strong enough to really fight with him—subconsciously, anyway." Jano suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. "Still, there's a good thing about him thinking like that."

"What's that?"

"You must make people think you're weak when you're actually strong."

"_Um_… Isn't that bad…?" Yasmine questioned.

"In a world like this, Yasume…" Jano actually seemed serious. His expression slightly frightened the girl. She had never seen it before. "… Public image is necessary."

"But…"

"You'll understand it better when you're older," Jano smirked. "You _are_ only three now."

Yasmine looked annoyed. Well, at least her caretaker was back to normal. A serious Jano was seriously not fun. "You know I am four!" she muttered, glaring up at him. In response, the ninja ruffled the girl's brown hair. She swatted his arm away. "Stop that…!"

"I'm really… getting attached to you, brat," Jano whispered.

"_Eh_…?"

"Anyway, let's begin…!" the man clapped his hands. "For the next couple of weeks, we will be running around the village, nonstop!"

"_What_? That's a little too much, mommy!" Yasmine protested. "Think of my age, please!" She really didn't want to go running around the village. "None of the kids my age do this!"

"Those kids aren't going to be very good ninja then," Jano waved off her protest, causing the girl to blanch. "Besides, isn't Neji Meji training at this very moment?" Yasmine frowned. It was true what Jano said. Neji had told her that he was getting trained by his uncle and father and that's the reason they didn't meet at the park today, or wouldn't be meeting for the next couple of days. "Do you want Neji Meji to come back strong while you're the same, _hm_?"

"Why do you keep calling him that?"

"I'unno," the ninja shrugged his shoulders. His ward sighed heavily. "Maybe you'll start calling him that and it'll annoy him enough to give me a reason to yell at his father. How dare that man say I look like a _woman_?" Yasmine rolled her eyes. Her caretaker sure was petty. "Anyway, let's begin! You will be stronger than any person who steps to you!"

"… I'm going to turn into some kinda violence-loving freak, aren't I?"

"Don't sass me, brat!"

0-0

The two adults watched as their children played. The two men were drinking tea as they did so. Jano and Hyuga Hizashi drank their tea at the same time. It was a peaceful moment, and they had to admit that it was nice. The two were sitting on a bench. It was one of those rare moments where both adults were present to watch over their children. Hizashi stared at his son and his playmate. "_Hm_…" he made a noise, telling Jano he wanted to say something.

"What is it, Hyuga-san?" he asked.

"My son told me something yesterday," the pale-eyed man stated; he closed his eyes for a moment. "I would like to share it with you." Jano nodded his head, and then took small sips of his tea. "Neji told me that he was very fond of Yasume." Jano grunted, already knowing that. They were friends, after all. He sighed heavily as he pulled the cup away from his lips.

"What's that gotta do with anything?" Jano asked.

"_Hm_… Well, my mind temporarily regressed back to its teen years and I told him that close friends, like himself and Yasume, kiss each other," Hizashi answered.

"_Ah_… Did you, now?" Jano replied, and then sipped his tea, closing his eyes as he did so. It took a minute for what Hizashi said to sink in. His eyes bugged and tea spewed from his mouth. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST SAY?" he yelled, turning to the Hyuga.

Neji and Yasmine didn't even glance at their respective parent. "Let's play in the sand, Yaya-chan!" the little boy said. Yasmine nodded her head and followed Neji over to the small sand box.

"Please, Jano-san… I meant no harm," Hizashi said, putting his hands up in mock defense. "Sit, please…" The man glared, and then sat. He picked up his dropped cup, tea now sinking into the dirt. "I was slightly… impudent in my youth."

"_Slightly_…?" Jano scoffed. Hizashi chuckled. He turned his pale eyes back to Neji and Yasmine. The two were building a castle out of sand. The Hyuga closed his eyes.

"I… want to enjoy the time I have left," he said. Jano stared at him, silently questioning him. "Come; let us watch what he will do."

Yasmine frowned as she tried to construct a bridge out of sand. The tiny grains just wouldn't hold together. "It won't work if there's no water, Yaya-chan," Neji commented, noticing her problem.

"Then how come yours is working?" Yasmine asked, pointing to Neji's mound of sand.

"Because _I'm_ a genius!" he answered with a grin. Yasmine stuck her tongue out in response. "Come here and help me." Yasmine nodded, and then crawled closer to her friend. The two were now sitting side by side. They both worked to make the pile of sand grower taller.

"This is gonna be huge, Neji Meji…!" Yasmine commented. The boy's face turned a light shade of pink, causing the girl to giggle. She didn't know why, but Neji's face always changed colors when she called him that. Maybe he was happy to have a nickname, or maybe he was embarrassed by it. Either way, she was a bit glad that her caretaker got the nickname stuck in her head.

"Hey, Yaya-chan… Father told me something yesterday," Neji said. The girl didn't turn her eyes away from the sand.

"Yes?" she asked. "What did he say?" Neji turned his attention to the sand as well and continued working.

"He said that really close friends kiss each other," he answered.

"What's a kiss?"

"I asked the same thing. He told me that a kiss happens when a person touches another with their lips," Neji explained. "My mother does it all the time with father when they're alone together."

"Why…?"

"I guess it's a sign of affection. Father says he enjoys it."

"_What's a sign of affection?" _Yasmine wanted to ask, but she didn't want to come off as an idiot in front of a genius like Neji. She only tiled her head to the side. The soon-to-be genius felt a bit timid, but he asked his question anyway.

"_Ne_, Yaya-chan… we're best friends, right?"

"Best friends…?" Yasmine blushed. She'd never had a best friend before. Did Neji really consider her as a best friend? That is so overwhelmingly great! "Yes, yes we are!"

"… Then could I try kissing you?" Neji asked, slightly embarrassed. "My father told me that I had to… on your cheek, but it you don't want-"

"I don't mind!" Yasmine interrupted. "If it means that we're best friends, I don't mind at all!" The young boy smiled at her reaction. She looked about as excited as he felt.

"Good," he said, and then leaned forward to kiss her cheek. Two adults watched in astonishment.

"Wow, he's really going for it, isn't he?" Jano muttered surprised. Hizashi, equally surprised, coughed lightly.

"My blood does indeed run through his veins," he said, proudly. Jano almost rolled his eyes.

"That's funny. I heard that it was your wife that aggressively went after you. Seems that your son is more of a man than you are."

"At least I _am_ a man," Hizashi retorted. Before Jano angrily protest, the Hyuga leaned forward, cupping his hand near his mouth. "Yasume…!" he called out. Since he called out her 'name,' Yasmine naturally looked towards him. Now because of this action, Neji missed her cheek and ended up kissing her lips. The two children stared wide-eyed at each other, while Jano gaped. Neji quickly pulled away. "That's my boy!" Hizashi stated with a small smirk. The man leaned back, satisfied.

Jano snapped out of his stunned silence and glared at his fellow man. He made a strangling motion with his hands. "You did that on _purpose_…!" he accused.

"Now, now, Jano-san…" Hizashi put his hands up again. "You can't blame me for wanting to see my son's first kiss."

"But at the expense of _my_ brat…?" Jano practically snarled. Hizashi smiled nervously as a sweat drop formed on his head.

"_H__e's even more protective of the girl than I am of Neji…"_ he thought, averting his eyes so that he wouldn't have to look at the angry expression of Jano.

"_All Hyuga are insane…!"_ the ANBU operative thought.

"What are they fighting for?" Yasmine asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"I have no idea…" Neji answered. "Oh, here, I brought some candy. Do you want any?"

"Yes!"

0-0

Yasmine watched as the sand slipped through her fingers. She scooped up more sand, and then allowed it to fall again. For the time being, that's what she did. She had already played on the slide, on the jungle gym, and the swing set. But it was a little boring since she had no one to play with. Actually, she was waiting for her playmate.

Jano had gone on another mission, leaving her alone, so she had nothing to do but wait. There was a chance that Neji wouldn't show up again today. It was strange because he told her he'd come back, but… that was over two weeks ago. Jano did not know of Yasmine's trips to the park, waiting for her friend, while he was gone. He did not know how long she waited for him to return. But Yasmine believed that Neji would come. Surely he'd come soon, right?

Yasmine swirled the sand around with her finger, not really paying attention to the small designs she made. She sighed heavily. It had been two boring weeks of waiting… The sun was beginning to set by now. Perhaps she should just give up and go back home. Yasmine quickly shook her head to rid herself of such thoughts. "No way…! Neji called me his best friend!" she said. "What kinda best friend would I be if I left?"

Unbeknownst to her, pale eyes watched her from behind a tree. They were narrowed into a glare. _"She doesn't know the pain of losing a parent…!"_ the boy thought, frowning. _"That's why there's still a smile on her face! Her smile…"_ Hyuga Neji stepped from behind his hiding place. He quietly walked over to Yasmine. She was none the wiser of his presence.

He reached out to touch her. He had felt her hair before. Yasmine had told him once before that she had convinced Jano to wash her hair three times a week. She had grinned as she told him that story. Neji's small face hardened as he thought about it. He would no longer experience his father washing his hair for him, yet she did. She still could! It wasn't fair…! Neji put his arm down. "Hey…" he said. Yasmine flinched, but then smiled because she recognized the voice right away.

"Neji-kun…!" she stood up and turned to face him. Her smile wavered slightly. Something… was different about her friend. Something about his face wasn't quite right. She shrugged, passing it off as nothing.

"Yaya… chan…" Neji responded, nodding his head. Again, Yasmine felt something was wrong.

"You haven't been here recently. I missed you this much!" she stretched her arms out. She laughed as she put her arms back to her sides. Yasmine looked around as Neji stared uncaringly at her. "Where were you, anyway? Where's your father? Mommy's still away on a mission, so I thought it'd be the three of us again."

The reason she had asked was because Neji's father, Hizashi was always with him when they came to the park. Sometimes, the man would let Neji and her climb all over him. He would laugh along with them, bring lunch, and even play in the sandbox with them… if he was in the mood, of course. Yasmine turned her eyes back to Neji. The boy's eyes were downcast as if something had happened. His small body was shaking, too, Yasmine noticed.

Neji's expression suddenly turned angry. Who was she to ask that question in such a casual manner? "Don't talk about my father!" he yelled. Yasmine stopped smiling and backed up in slight fright. Why did he yell…? He was usually a soft-spoken boy. Actually, Yasmine had never heard Neji raise his voice.

"Neji… Meji …? What's wrong with-"

"Don't call me that, either!" the Hyuga interrupted. Yasmine flinched. Sure, he was usually annoyed when she called him by that nickname, but he would always blush and try to change the subject. It was a little routine that the two children had. Why would he suddenly…? He had not blatantly told her to not call him that.

"But that's-" Yasmine tried to say, but was interrupted again.

"I don't care! You know what? I don't to see your face anymore, Yaya-chan!" Neji glared at her. _"I don't want to see that smile while I'm so unhappy…" _he thought. Yasmine's small body trembled. She was scared. Why was Neji so angry with her?

"Wha…?"

"Don't ever come here again!" Neji shouted, leaning forward slightly so that she would get his point. "I hate you…" he lowered his voice slightly.

Neji turned his back to the girl. "But… Wh-What did I do?" Yasmine asked. Whatever she had done, she would apologize for it! She just really did want him to leave. Neji was her only friend here. She didn't want to be alone again. Not after it took so long to really open up to Neji.

"I hate you…" he repeated, and then ran off. Yasmine watched him go, still confused. She was confused, sad… angry. It made no sense to her that he would just suddenly lash out at her. Unless… Unless he truly _did_ hate her, of course. But for what…? What had happened? What did she do?

Yasmine continued to stare at Neji's back. He grew more distant by the second. Not once did her friend—ex-friend look back. Liquid welled up in her eyes. "… F-FINE, I DON'T CARE!" she shouted, squeezing her eyes shut, causing the tears to spill out. Innocent bystanders, who heard the unfamiliar words of a different language, all turned their eyes to see the source of the shout. But it was too late; the source had already run off. Left behind was the soft dirt that had become damp from the tears and a small glass bird that had been cracked from the fall from the girl's pocket. It would have been a present. It's astonishing how a small thing can destroy something great…

The glass bird split in half…

0-0

She ran. She ran so far away. The tingling in her legs screamed for her to stop, lest they shut down completely. They were not well rested after running around the village five times earlier today. Yasmine ignored the throbbing pain in her legs. That pain was nothing compared to what she was feeling at the moment. Her heart felt like it was being torn. _"Why…? Why would he say that?" _Yasmine thought. Hot tears continued to slide down her caramel-colored skin. The tears blurred her vision slightly, yet she did not stop running. Her throat felt like it was constricting. She didn't understand anything, anymore. Was friendship supposed to be like this?

Yasmine tried to wipe away her tears, but they just kept falling. Because of her trying to wipe away the tears, her vision was blocked. She did not notice a root of a tree was sticking up out of the ground. She tripped and went flying. Yasmine let out a gasp of surprise. She did not hit the ground. Her body had gone right off a cliff. Yasmine stared into the darkness of the pit. "I… I don't care anymore," she whispered as she fell. She didn't try to grab onto something. Why should she…? She didn't belong here, anyway.

Yasmine Dalton should have died in that car accident along with her parents. She never should have ended up with her abusive uncle. She never should have tried to fight back against him. She never should have been here. She should have _never_ met Hyuga Neji. The tears did not stop seeping through her closed eyes. The four-year-old wrapped her arms around herself, waiting for her doom.

She would be joining her parents. _"Finally… I get to see them again,"_ she thought. _"Daddy… Mommy…"_ Yasmine's body sunk further and further down. She never tried to stop herself. She had given up. The only thing that waited for her was the ever-lasting darkness below. The darkness came.

Unfortunately for her, it wasn't ever-lasting…

0-0

Jano stepped into his apartment. He closed the door behind him and locked it. He yawned loudly. The missions he had been given from the Hokage might have been quicker, but they sure were tiring. "Brat, you here?" he called as he tossed his keys on the counter. Of course that little rascal would be here.

She knew that when the sun went down that she had to be here. Jano stifled another yawn as he walked towards the kitchen. He opened up the refrigerator, searching for something to fix for himself and Yasmine. Speaking of her, she still had not returned his call. "Brat…?" he called again. He lifted his head and looked around the apartment. Silence greeted him.

Jano closed the refrigerator door. Come to think of it, all the lights in the apartment were still off. _"She's… probably sleeping in my room again," _Jano thought, walking towards the door to his bedroom. He smirked. After all, she had to run five laps around Konoha today. She was usually curled up in a ball on his bed after running. Jano pushed the door opened and peeked inside. The light was off. He didn't bother to turn it on. Perhaps that's why he always banged his knee against the dresser… "Damn it…!" Jano grumbled, rubbing his knee. "Every time…!"

The off-duty ANBU individual felt his way over to the bed. He, luckily, found it and sat down. His hand felt on the bed, searching for the usual small body. "Brat…? Where are you?" he muttered, still feeling around. When he didn't feel her body, he immediately grew alarmed. He stood up and pulled back the covers. The sight that greeted him was the white sheets.

Jano's eyes widened considerably. He dashed back over to the door, running into the dresser again. "Shit!" he cursed, hitting the wall as if he tripped. He felt for the light switch. He turned it on. Light flooded the room, washing away the shadows. There was no Yasmine. "Brat…!" he called out, leaving the room.

"_I can't even feel her here!"_ Jano thought, frantic. He moved over to the window that had a clear view of the park. "She couldn't still be there, could she?" he murmured out loud. He opened the window. His eyes scanned over the park. Still, there was no sign of his ward. "Yasume—I mean, Yasmine… where the hell are you?" he practically growled.

Jano jumped out of his window, landing quietly on the ground below. He dashed towards the park, heart rate escalating. It wasn't like Yasmine to still be up, let alone at the playground. Once there, Jano scanned the area again. He chewed his lip. "This child is gonna lead me to drinking!" he groaned. "Where are you?"

He walked forward, almost tripping over something by the sandbox. He grumbled and looked down to see what he had tripped over. In the light of the moon, the object twinkled. Jano crouched down. With his hands, he completely uncovered the object. His eyes expanded because of what he saw.

Jano picked up the object, now defined as a bird. A small glass bird lay broken in his hand. He stood up as he examined it. "That boy's present…" he stated. "That brat had begged me to buy this for her to give to him." Jano took one of the pieces into his other hand. He clutched both pieces, causing him to bleed. "Yasmine would have never let this be broken, so why is it broken?"

The Hyuga kid had something to do with it, he knew. Jano knew of his father's death, but… that kid wouldn't seriously take it out on his friend, would he? Jano narrowed his eyes. "He's a Hyuga, capable of anything…" he muttered. "What did he do to her?" It was time to have a little chat with the pale-eyed brat…

0-0

Yasmine's body hit the wall hard. She dropped to the ground and winced in pain. This—it didn't hurt as much as it used to. Why…? Perhaps she had gotten used to it. A large hand grabbed her hair and hoisted her up. Hot, smelly breath caused Yasmine to grimace. "Do you know how long it took to find you?" a harsh voice asked.

It was a rhetorical question. It wasn't meant to be answered, but something inside of her made her respond. "I don't know, how long, dear uncle?" she asked. She knew it was wrong the moment those words came out of her mouth. Her uncle looked momentarily shocked by the response. He quickly composed himself, and then struck Yasmine across the face. He dropped her to the ground.

"Sarcastic lil bitch!" her uncle said. "Just like that fucking slut of a mother." The giant man turned his back to the small child. Yasmine's body quivered as she struggled to stand.

"D-Don't talk about my mommy…!" she shouted. Her uncle slowly turned to face her.

"Oh, still got some fight in ya?" he asked. He backhanded her.

Yasmine's head practically bounced off the wall. "Bastard...!" she muttered, trying to stand again, but failing.

"You listen here, bitch… You have nothing to fight for, so why try? Don't step to me again or I really might kill you," the man said. "I don't know what the hell happened to you while you were gone, but you're back here. And I show no mercy, so go back to the pathetic bitch you were. The one who didn't talk back and just _asked _for me to kick her lil black ass!" Yasmine used the wall as support to help her stand. Her head was bowed.

"Forgive me, uncle…" she whispered. "I will try not to upset you anymore."

"That's more like it, ya dumb lil ho," the man said. "Now go in the bathroom and wash yourself off. I ain't paying for no mo medical bills, either, so you better not fall unconscious again!"

"Yes… I understand," the girl responded. "You won't have to worry about any more medical bills."

The man's eyes narrowed as he watched her go into the bathroom. It was like a different person was talking to him or something… The man shrugged as the girl closed the bathroom door. "And don't use no hot water!" he called. He moved his way over to the comfy chair and sat. His hand reached for the remote and turned on the TV. The television was god! As long as he had that, nothing else mattered, not even a stupid child that he was supposed to take care of.

Brown eyes glared at the man through the keyhole of the bathroom door. Pretty soon that bastard would be asleep. The girl moved again from the door, a sadistic grin on her face. "That's the last time you fucking hit me, bitch," she said to herself. The girl made her way over to the shower. She quickly undressed and got in. "Don't use the hot water, my ass," she muttered as she turned on the shower.

The warm water washed over her body, washing away the blood and splinters. The girl hissed as the water touched the long wound that had yet to heal fully. She put a hand on her shoulder and looked back at the thing that would turn into a scar. _"Don't worry, dear uncle, I'll pay you back in full," _she thought.

0-0

Like a cat, she quietly moved around the apartment, obtaining the things she needed for her plan. That man sat in his chair, sleeping so peacefully. He was blissfully unaware of what was about to happen to him. The girl, who was scurrying about, had a smirk on her face. She had everything she needed to carry out this plan, everything… except the gun.

If she remembered correctly, that man kept his gun in his bottom desk drawer, under some porno. He probably thought it was safe from view because Yasmine never went in his room. The girl stealthily moved towards his room. It wasn't long before the Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power gun was in her gloved hands; it had been equipped with a silencer. And what luck, there was a bullet still in it.

The girl picked up the metal stool, much too heavy for a normal four-year-old to pick up. Grabbed a pillow, and then stood up on the stool that was placed behind the chair of the sleeping man. "It begins…" the girl grinned. She tapped the man's cheek with the gun. He didn't wake up. She smacked him hard. "Wake up, bastard!"

The man woke up with a start. "What the fuck…" he muttered, slightly dazed, not to mention confused. "Why am I all tied up?"

"That would be my doing," the girl smiled, hiding the gun behind her back. The man turned his head.

"Yasmine…? What the fuck did you do to me?" The girl chuckled.

"Oh, nothing… I just had to make sure you were awake," she answered.

"What the hell are you up to?" the man yelled, pissed. He was struggling against the rope and tape.

"Don't even try to escape. You're stuck," the girl stated. She lifted the gun.

"What are you doing with that?" the man growled.

"This gun?" she asked. "I aims to kill you with it." Her laugh seemed as sinister as her smirk.

"You bitch…! How dare you threaten me! When I get out of here, I'm going to-"

"The only place you're going to… is hell," the girl said. "I just hope you suffer there. It's a shame that I don't have time to make you suffer myself. But I'm sure the devil will rape you anally as a welcoming gift."

The girl kept the pillow still at the back of the man's head. "What the fuck are you doing, Yasmine?" he shouted. The girl rolled her eyes and sighed. She took a sock out of her pocket and shoved it in his mouth.

"Shut up, dumbass. I need full concentration…" she said. Muffled shouts were his response.

Again, she pressed the pillow against his head. "And do you know why I'll get away with this?" she asked. "Because no one will believe that a four-year-old planned and followed through with this… cold-blooded murder. In fact, they will most likely think this was done by a tall robber, seeing as how I'm standing on a stool to do this," She chuckled. "I'll make it look like some forced their way into this horrible place you call home. But what's this? There's someone here? The robber will panic, tie you up, and shoot your brains out. Scared, he'll leave without checking any of the other rooms. Long story short, you'll die. I'll get away with it." More muffled shouts. "Oh, and by the way… the name's Yasume, bitch."

And with that, Yasume pulled the trigger.

0-0

Yasmine groaned, and then slowly opened her eyes. Her body felt like it was floating… She opened her eyes fully to see that she was floating! And naked…! She seemed to be floating in an all white… dimension of some sorts… "Why am I…?"

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you face to face," a voice said. Her body seemed to turn on its own. What she saw caused her to gape.

There was another…! … Only, this one looked way more confident. She was actually grinning as she floated towards Yasmine. "Who are you?" she asked. The copy chuckled.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked. "I am you…"

"No… No, I don't think so…"

"Oh, fine, fine! Ruin the introduction!" the copy said. She circled around Yasmine, causing the girl to become slightly uncomfortable. "I am your defense mechanism. My name is Yasume."

"Yasume…?"

"That's right… For here on out, I'll be your protector," Yasume said. She stopped orbiting Yasmine and put the palm of her hand on the confused-looking girl's head. "I will also be like a sponge. I will absorb every bad thing you want to forget."

A dark aura of sorts suddenly manifested in the palm of Yasume's hand. She pulled her palm away from Yasmine's forehead. The dark aura seemed to vanish. "What did…?"

"See, all gone!" Yasume said.

"…"

"You won't remember the things that happened when you were 'gone.' You won't remember any of it."

"I don't know what you're talking about… but I kinda feel relieved," Yasmine admitted. Yasume grinned.

"Good, now wake up."

"What are you tal-"

0-0

Yasmine sat up in bed. What a strange dream… She yawned loudly. She flipped back her Barbie printed covers. It was the one thing that her uncle gave her that she actually wanted. He probably only did it to look good in front of guests. The young girl quietly slipped out of her bed. The first thing she did was walk in the bathroom with a set of clothes under her arms. It was all a part of her daily routine.

Get up, take a shower, brush her teeth, and get yelled at by her uncle because of something _he _forgot to do, eat breakfast, and then go back to her room, praying her uncle wouldn't strike her that day. Yasmine yawned again as she undressed. Stepping in the shower, she turned on the cold water. Heaven forbid she uses her uncle's precious hot water.

After her three minute shower, she turned the water off. Her uncle hated it when she took longer than three minutes, so she took very quick showers. She couldn't even feel the coldness of her showers anymore. Yasmine dried herself, and then put on her clothes. It was hard, but she managed to brush her teeth as she put on her clothes. Her uncle didn't want her to take too much time in the bathroom. Apparently, it was a horrible thing to do.

**You don't have to worry about him and his rules anymore…**

The red toothbrush fell from Yasmine's mouth. She looked around, thinking she had heard something. She shrugged, and then picked up her toothbrush. She rinsed it off, and then drank some water to rinse her teeth off. She spit it out. Yes, everything was all going according to her daily routine.

Yasmine exited the bathroom. Her dirty clothes fell from her arms. Her eyes grew wide, her mouth dropped open. As usual, he was in his chair, but… there was a hole in the back of his head and blood spattered on the television. Yasmine stood there, frozen. "Un-Uncle…?" she tried to call out, but her voice came out as a whisper.

Yasmine took slow steps towards the bloody corpse. "Uncle…?" she repeated. She bit her lip. "Uncle… I broke the TV in your room!" She waited for the smack, but it never came. Her uncle sat there, motionless. And he smelled horrible, more than usual. Could her uncle be dead, like the guys on those crime shows? Yasmine continued to stare.

…

She screamed.

This was definitely not a part of the routine.

0-0

Yasmine watched as the man beside her knocked on the blue door. He impatiently tapped his foot as he waited for someone to answer. She heard footsteps, and then suddenly the door opened. There stood an African American woman. Her appearance told Yasmine that she was old, but that grin, along with the sweat, told her 'don't judge a book by its cover.' Chills went up and down her spine.

"Here she is," the man said, giving Yasmine a slight push forward. The woman had to move backwards, least she be knocked down. "The papers will come in the mail in about two weeks."

"Why didn't they just send the papers with you?" the woman asked, frowning.

"…" the man didn't respond. Instead, he just walked off, leaving Yasmine and the woman standing there, looking at his departing back. The man was no random stranger. For six years, he had taken care of Yasmine. Now, she was being turned over to a new caretaker.

"Well, that's just plain rude," the woman muttered, causing Yasmine to refocus her attention. She then turned her brown eyes to Yasmine. "Come in, come in…" she said, motioning for her to walk forward. Yasmine did so, eyes scanning around the house. It was a small, simple home, but it seemed cozier than her last living arrangements. "I'll show you to your room, dear." Yasmine nodded and followed the nice old lady.

All around, there were pictures of what Yasmine assumed were family. However, there were a few people that didn't seem related at all. But she supposed that it was a family portrait. There were two elderly people in the picture, looking of Asian descent. The woman wore a scowl as though she couldn't be bothered with taking a picture in the first place while the man smiled. Perhaps they were married? In front of them, sitting in chairs, were three men—perhaps brothers, seeing as how they looked similar. One appeared apathetic. Another wore a giant grin. The one in the middle wasn't even paying attention to the camera. His eyes were on the darker woman, sitting in his lap. She had an arm wrapped around his neck as she posed for the shot with a victory sign. They must have been a couple.

The picture frame beside that one showed the same two. There was an addition of a child. She looked around the same age as Yasmine. Maybe she was ten as well. Her left cheek was pressed against the man's right. The woman's cheek was pressed against the girl's other cheek. They looked like a happy family, though the resembalance was a bit off. Not to mention the girl had blue eyes and dark skin. Yasmine had never seen that combination before. "_Um_, ma'am…"

"Don't call me that. My name is Theresa," the woman stated. "And if you're curious, they are members of my family. My daughter, her husband, and their daughter live in Japan."

"Their daughter?" Yasmine asked. Theresa nodded. "She's not adopted?"

"Her blood is of Ishikari."

"… _That didn't answer my question,"_ the child thought.

"Anyway, enough about her! There will be plenty of time for that later. My granddaughter does visit from time to time," she said. "Tell me something—Yasmine, is it?"

"Yes."

"Okay, Yasmine… have you ever run a mile before?"

0-0

Yasmine set her bag on the bed. She breathed out quickly, trying to catch her breath. The girl fell to her knees. "What's with that old woman…" she muttered, still panting. Theresa had made her drop her bag, and then run around the house about twenty-five times! Her heart felt like it was going to explode! So this is where she'd be living for awhile?

Hell.

Just great. Still, at least the older woman told her that she was cooking dinner and that she could rest until then. Also, Theresa had mentioned that she was adopting a ward to her daughter, so her granddaughter got interested. This led the foreigner to send a letter. Since they were the same age, the old woman gave the note to Yasmine, telling her to write back when she had time. The 'when' part freaked her out a bit. What the heck was this old lady going to make her _do_?

Yasmine pulled the envelope from her pocket and opened it. She pulled the paper out. Thinking it would be in the Japanese language proved to be false. This girl had written in English. Cool. She supposed that it was normal for a child of an interracial union to know, at least, two languages instead of one. The girl blinked at the handwriting. She might have known English, but her handwriting needed work. Luckily, Yasmine got the gist of it.

This 'Muya' girl seemed energetic and wanted to become friends right away, almost demanding that she write back as soon as possible. Yasmine blinked, dropping her hand, which held the letter. The only friend that she had right now was Yasume me. No one else believed that she existed, though. If she told this Muya girl about her friend, would she deny her existence as well? "I don't want that…" she murmured.

**Then don****'t tell her right now.**

"Alright," Yasmine replied out loud.

0-0

I was going to add a few more scenes to this flashback, but I really want to get back to the main story, so... here ya go! Remember, underline is in English while in a Japanese-speaking place. Review please!


	17. Defense Mechanism

Have you noticed the new layout? The _heck_?

* * *

><p>"Neji… Meji…"<p>

Because of her whisper, the Hyuga's body tensed a bit. That name… It was the nickname that he had both disliked and liked at the same time as a child. She remembered. "Yaya-chan… You remember now?" Neji asked. The foreigner actually smiled down at him. He almost didn't believe it. After years of separation, he was finally able to reunite with his childhood friend. Was his father proud of his efforts? The Hyuga let a tiny smile cross his face. The teen idol on top of him grinned, and then cupped his cheeks. The same nickname came from her mouth. Her hands slipped lower to his neck. Then she began to strangle him.

Huh…?

Neji's instincts were quick to take over. He swiftly thrust his palm towards the foreigner's abdomen. Even without the use of chakra, the force was still enough. With a sharp gasp and grunt, she released his neck, allowing the Hyuga to breathe properly again. The idol grabbed her stomach, and then fell over at his side. Neji sat up and coughed out, surprised. Despite her build, she possessed greater strength than he had anticipated. "Wh-Why?" he croaked, hand cupping his neck. Coughed out laughter entered his ears, causing him to turn.

"Neji Meji, Neji Meji," she repeated through her malevolent chuckles. "Is that what you wanted to hear, _huh_, he-bitch?" Her hair covered her face, yet there was no doubt in his mind. This was not the same person he had been speaking to just a few moments before. Neji narrowed his eyes. This must be the alter ego—Yasu. Finally, her laughter subsided and she sat up as well. Her eyes appeared sharper than they had been. Also, there was an uncharacteristic smirk on the idol's face. It appeared, almost, sinister. She slowly stood, causing Neji to do the same. It felt as though he was in the presence of an enemy. Still clutching her stomach, Yasu showed her teeth like some feral animal. "Too bad for you that I have this ability."

"Ability…?" he repeated.

"Yes. I am able to force Yasmine into her own mind, allowing me to take control," she explained. "I've only had to do that once before."

"So… Yaya-chan… doesn't remember?" Neji questioned. He frowned, lowering his gaze to the ground. He had never felt such disappointment before. "Why did you send her away? There is no need for your interference."

"No need? _Ha_! You're so stupid," Yasu said. She didn't flinch even when he glared at her. "I didn't think you'd remember, so I didn't even try to make her avoid you. But since you do remember, I guess I have to deal with you. Neji, I'll tell you this once. Forget the little girl you knew from back then. She's gone."

"Why are you keeping something like this from her? This doesn't concern you!"

"Yes it does because I am Yaya-chan."

"_You're _definitely not _her_!"

"Actually, I was created from her—from her wretched memories," Yasu continued, chuckling. "I keep the memories from Yasmine, which makes me Yaya-chan... Neji-Meji..." She crossed her arms. "Ever since Yasmine's mind created me, those, along with certain other memories, have been locked away... in me. She doesn't remember you because she doesn't _want_ to. So end this right now and never speak of that name or that little girl again."

"You… You have no right to do that to her," Neji replied. "As this is between the two of us, you shouldn't…" He swallowed hard. "I have to apologize to her, so release your hold on her memories now." The alter ego did not respond. "For over three years, I have searched for her. Now that she has appeared again, I can finally apologize for the mistake I made as a child. She has to remember so that we can both properly move on! You halting that process will only-" The scoff from Yasu caused the Hyuga to stop speaking.

"Don't be so selfish!" Yasu nearly hissed at him. Neji almost took a step back because of it. "She has… already been through enough. She doesn't need those memories added to what she's already going through. She was pretty messed up before she met you… all those years ago."

"All those years ago…"

Neji's face took on an expression of nostalgia. Yasume rolled her eyes. She almost didn't believe that triggering a flashback would actually work on someone like Hyuga Neji. She had used this several times in the past with Leader when she was in trouble. His past must have been pretty bad since it worked like a charm. However, when she turned away, intending on leaving him standing there, her wrist was grabbed. Damn, she mentally cursed. Apparently, the Hyuga's flashbacking didn't take that long. "If you don't let me go now, you'll know the meaning of going straight up ghetto!" Yasume threatened. He promptly ignored her.

"You can't keep me away from her," Neji announced. "Our shared memories will come to light eventually." The other half smirked. It sounded very much like a challenge to her ears.

"You won't be able to do anything once we leave this village," Yasume stated. "In two days, you will not see her again. Can you get her memories to return before hand?"

"Two days?"

"Yes. Of course with the big reveal and album, we're going on tour. Well, at least to sign autographs and make more public appearances," Yasume explained. "No, no… I just thought of a better idea." She was pleased to see that Neji flinched when she grinned. "I'll allow her memories to return. But do you think everything will be fine and dandy once they do? Do you honestly think she'd forgive you after what you did?"

She chuckled as if she already knew the answer. Neji slowly released her, eyes shifting to the ground. Her questions caused guilt to bubble within him. The last words—foreign words—he had heard from his childhood friend echoed in his mind. Although he hadn't understood what she had yelled at him, the pain had been clear though her voice. "If… If I explain to her clearly," Neji began in an effort to convince the alter ego and perhaps himself. "She should-"

"Should _what_? Accept you with open arms?" Yasu interrupted. "Do you honestly expect things to be so simple? Fine, believe what you want. In two days it won't matter. Let's see if you can persuade her to accept you again, Neji." With a wicked laugh, she walked away. He watched her go until she was no longer within his unenhanced sight. Admittedly, he hadn't really thought about anything beyond finding his childhood friend. After he had remembered her, only finding her had been a goal. He hadn't thought things would be problematic like this. Neji shook his head. No matter. This still needed to be done. Despite what her alter ego had said to him, he had to go through with his. Not only for himself, but for Yaya-chan as well.

0-0

Mayu released a frustrated shout into the night, causing her present teammates to shift their attention to her. Without a word of explanation, the kunoichi released another. This time, she was hit upside the head. At her indignant way of asking why he did it, Sai explained. "I read that physical contact amongst friends is critical. Hitting could be a sign of affection. I have witnessed Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun… This situation seemed appropriate. Was I wrong?" he asked. Before Mayu could answer, Sasuke answered for her.

"No, you weren't. Nice job, Sai," he said. The Uchiha ignored the girl's exclamation of 'Don't listen to this guy, Sai-chan!' and crossed his arms. "Why are you making so much noise, anyway?" Mayu huffed.

"If it hadn't been for Tenten, I would have escorted the idol back," she muttered. "That slick Neji…! I'll get him for this!"

"Why are you suddenly so interested in someone you had no clue about in the first place?" Sasuke asked. The kunoichi appeared as though she was about to answer. However, her mouth suddenly closed tight. She shook her head, causing a brow to rise. Her antics were suspicious. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"If it was your business, I'd _probably _tell you," Mayu answered with a cheeky grin. This earned her a glower from Sasuke. "But seriously, though, don't worry about it."

"It's hard not to when you're shouting out your displeasures."

"Oh, Sasuke, I had no idea you were so affectionate!" Mayu squealed.

"Only…" He swallowed. "Only towards you," he murmured. However, the kunoichi had already directed her attentions towards the paler male of the team, so she did not hear what he said. Lip twitching, Sasuke sharply turned his eyes away. He almost hated that about her. She would sometimes make comments and completely disregard the response or the consequences. Did she enjoy torturing him like this? The young Uchiha shut his eyes for a moment. Mayu was surprisingly dense, so he wouldn't put it past her if she had no clue what affect she had on him.

Eventually, Sai left them as his current residence came within sight. Mayu had waved him off and blew a parting kiss his way. It had annoyed Sasuke to no end that the pale ninja had moved as if catching her kiss. How had they become so close? According to Naruto, it had only been a short time since the socially awkward shinobi had joined the team. Mayu stretched her arms up high and yawned. "So you heading home or what?" she asked. "It's pretty late. You're not going to train, right?"

"No. Not tonight," Sasuke answered. The kunoichi breathed a sigh of relieve. "Why?"

"Did you forget so soon? I'm watching you for awhile. If you're going to sleep that means I can get some shut eye, too," Mayu explained.

"Should you be telling me this?"

"Probably not, but they didn't really give me the specifics on this chore."

With a shrug of her shoulders, Mayu continued walking. However, she didn't head in the expected direction. "Where do you live, anyway?" Sasuke questioned. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't been to anyone's home other than his own since he had returned to the village. "Take me there." At the demand, the kunoichi gave the Uchiha an incredulous look. "What? It's not like it's a big secret, or something." An expression that seemed like it said 'Oh shit!' appeared on his comrade's face. Sasuke had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. This is why Mayu would crack under interrogation. She chuckled nervously and scratched her left cheek. "Could it be… that you're living _there_—at that Ishikari place?"

"So you know about that, huh?" Mayu asked.

"We discovered it together when we were younger," he stated.

"Oh, then I guess there's no need to hide it from you. Yeah, I live there now. It is my birthplace, after all," she shrugged again. "I've cleaned the place up pretty good, too! Hopefully, it won't be long before little Ishikari babies are crawling around." Sasuke's lip twitched at the thought.

"… How many-" He cleared his throat. "-are you planning on having?"

"As many as I can, of course!" she answered without a second thought. "My genes must go on! I'll repopulate the world with Ishikari! And we _definitely_ won't be a secret anymore!" She raised her fist as she made the proclamation.

"We could do that together then," Sasuke said. Mayu stopped walking and turned his way. He halted his steps as well. By now, the two were away from the town. So far away, in fact, that only the sounds of nature could be heard. "I mean, that's also one of my goals." Despite the fact that his voice was completely steady, he realized that he could not fight the reddening of his cheeks. Mayu stared blankly at him for a moment longer before smiling. Without warning, she closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his torso. Her sudden affection had always puzzled Sasuke. He couldn't understand why she would show public displays of affection—almost randomly, too. Still, he could get used to it. Smirking, the Uchiha wrapped an arm around her as well.

She sighed. He could feel her breath warming his skin though his shirt. "I'm glad," she murmured. This reminded him so much of that time… The last time before they were separated. "Sasuke… You're… kinda amazing." Her whisper came equipped with holding him tighter. "I assumed a lot of stuff about you based on the stories I heard. I'm glad that my assumptions were wrong." Mayu's hold loosened and she shifted her head, moving to look him in the eyes without putting too much distance in between them. Could it be that her body reacted to him even without knowledge of their shared memories? "I only wish that I knew the reason."

"You _are_ my reason," Sasuke told her. "You better not forget that again." Her eyebrows knitted together, and then she slowly nodded her head. Then she grinned and nodded her head again as though she had become more eager to keep that promise. "Good." He released her, and then started walking again. Calling for him to wait, Mayu rushed to walk by his side. Because it was her, it was probably going to take some time to catch her. For now, though, he was satisfied with this.

At least until tomorrow.

0-0

"… And _that_ makes you_ larger _than _life_!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. For the past four minutes, his teammate had been singing some strange song that he hadn't heard before. It didn't count that he wasn't really a big music fan to begin with. Still, this was Mayu. She liked singing randomly even if she was bad at it. He already knew this about her. At the moment, they—Sai as well—were heading towards a training spot. Their client didn't need them so early on in the day, so it gave them time to do what they wanted until the idol made a public appearance. In the beginning, it had only been he and Mayu, but they had run into Sai while shopping, so now he was tagging along. The two of them, Sai and Mayu, decided to see how Naruto's training was going.

The Uchiha supposed he was a bit curious as well. According to Kakashi, the training would make him stronger in a short amount of time. However, the jounin also stated that only Naruto could perform this type of training. Sasuke assumed that it was because of the demon dwelling within him. Either way, Kakashi didn't give a reason. He did not seem to realize that Sasuke already knew about it, judging from the quick glance the man had given as he spoke. Even though Mayu stood next to him, he had been the only one to receive the cautious glance. Could Mayu know even without her memories? Perhaps Naruto told her… Well, how come his best friend didn't think to mention how cool he was so that it would be easier to capture her heart?

With a shake of his head, Sasuke quickly pushed that thought to the back of his mind. Even if Naruto tried to do something like that, Mayu wasn't the type to judge without seeing the other's actions. Since she truly had forgotten him, then she had no opinion of him other than the facts. And in her mind, the fact was that he had been a traitor. It was fortunate that Naruto had met her beforehand and that she believed him. Or that whole mission would have ended horribly.

Mayu suddenly stopped. The two shinobi stopped as well, turning their heads to look back at her. Her nose twitched before she covered it up with the palm of her hand. She grimaced a little as though she was uncomfortable. It was Sai that asked what her problem was. "I can smell Naruto from here." Sasuke looked around. "Oh right… You wouldn't know that I have that ability," Mayu continued. He looked back at her. She tapped her nose. "I have all sorts of scents that I can recognize." The kunoichi grinned. "Kiba taught me."

"Do you not like Naruto-kun's scent?" Sai asked.

"It's alright… I'm just saying that he's probably got like-" She sniffed a couple of times. "-Like a hundred clones out or something." Mayu shrugged. "Shall we pick up our pace?" Before receiving an answer, the kunoichi did as she wanted and continued walking forward, going slightly faster than before. Sasuke watched her go, tongue sliding across his two front teeth. This feeling… It was as though he knew her, but didn't know her at the same time. It was frustrating to feel this way. Why was she… so far away?

"Sasuke-kun, may I ask a question?" Sai's question caused the Uchiha to glance his way before walking forward again. The pale shinobi easily matched his pace. Still, Mayu continued on ahead of them. "It's been a few days since we found you… I was curious of the relationship between you and Naruto-kun." He smiled. "My expectations—they were surprisingly exceeded. Observing Naruto-kun and the relationship you have with him causes me to think of a time when the person I viewed as my brother was still alive." Sai, apparently, was more socially awkward than _he_ had been. He did not know that it was annoying to drag things out. Still, Sasuke managed to keep the straight look as he walked, hoping that the pale ninja would get to his point. "However… There are things that I had assumed that is not true… I had believed that since Naruto-kun and Queen are friends, and yourself and Naruto-kun are friends, then the friendship between yourself and Queen would be the same." Sasuke finally stopped, which made Sai halt his steps as well. Mayu walked on unaware, blissfully singing about how she was 'feeling so fly like a G6.' What the hell was a G6? "Would it be possible to know the reason why your gaze for Naruto-kun is different from your gaze for Queen?"

"Gaze…" Sasuke found himself repeating. Ah, he should have realized sooner. He had only known Sai for a couple of days, but it was obvious to him that the pale shinobi was an observer. Sasuke would ultimately figure things out without having anyone tell him. Sai, though, was curious about many things, and felt no shame in asking questions concerning something he didn't understand. In that aspect, he was similar to a child. "That's because I like her."

"You do not like Naruto-kun?" Sai narrowed his eyes.

"It's not the same, Sai. Liking someone has different levels," Sasuke explained. "No, more like different circles… Sometimes, those circles overlap."

"I…" He seemed at a loss for words. Then he sighed, shutting his eyelids. "Perhaps I should read more…" Before Sasuke could reply to Sai's remark, Mayu called out to them, having had noticed that they weren't following anymore. The two teens hurriedly caught up with her. She had stopped before she had reached the clearing where Naruto was training. They could see the numerous clones of their teammate.

"Naruto's working hard… I kinda don't want to interrupt," Mayu told them. She leaned her shoulder against the tree she was standing next to. She stared for a moment before speaking again. "So this is the method Kakashi-sensei was talking about… Makes sense since it's Naruto." Sasuke nodded his head in agreement. Right off the bat, he could tell what type of training Kakashi was having the blond do. By using clones, it wouldn't take long for mastery because of the individual experience of a clone would automatically be transferred to the user of the jutsu. Not many ninja used this method, though. However, because Naruto was able to make hundreds of clones at a time, the type of training was probably the best for him. "Maybe we should just leave him be?"

Naruto didn't give them the time to decide because one of his clones had spotted and recognized his watchers. Immediately, the clone broke out into a grin, and then shouted out Sasuke's name. This, of course, caused all of the clones to grin widely and turn their heads in their general direction. The Uchiha visibly flinched at the attention. Every clone shouted out his name before dispersing. The real Naruto stood in the middle of the large cloud of smoke and leaves left behind. He then ran towards the three, excitedly waving.

To everyone's surprise, though, Naruto's pupils moved, seemingly to the back of his eye sockets before he fell forward. Sasuke moved so fast that the others couldn't see him. Before Naruto hit the ground, the Uchiha managed to catch him. Sai and Mayu rushed forward as well. "You fool," Sasuke remarked, rolling his eyes. Kakashi leisurely walked over.

"Don't worry… He's fine," he stated. The jounin then called over to Yamato, saying that they were going to take a break while Naruto recovers. "What are you four doing here?"

"Four?" Sai murmured. Kakashi pointed behind them. Yamanaka Ino, with a frown on her face, walked towards them, arms crossed. "_Ah_… Yamanaka-san…" The pale ninja shifted his gaze elsewhere and subconsciously touched his cheek. Hearing her surname come from Sai caused Ino to openly glare at him as she came to a stop. The two weren't exactly friends. Hell, Sasuke would be surprised if the kunoichi considered him a _comrade_ after what happened yesterday. Kakashi had been released from the hospital, and so the team had gone to visit him. They had met Team Asuma along the way. The two jounin had something to talk about, so the younger ninja had decided to eat at a restaurant. Sai had tried hard to be friendly towards them, but in the end, he had almost called Chouji a fat-ass, and had succeeded in calling Ino 'Ms. Coyote Ugly.' She hadn't taken that nickname too well. The entire business establishment had been leveled due to Sai's attempt at being friendly.

"We came to see how Naruto's training was coming along," Mayu answered.

"I came because I knew that Mayu would be here," Ino huffed out. "Didn't know she was going to bring _this_ guy, too."

"_Eh_? Ino, you're looking for me? Why?"

"I want to finish up our thing. One more time ought to do it," she replied. "I was bored, so I thought why not."

"… Fine," Mayu rolled her eyes. "Let's finish then." She turned to the confused males. "I'll be back, but if I don't, I'm probably sleeping in a random place, so come find me. No, on second thought, that could take too much time, so I'll just head over to designated place after I wake up." Ino hooked her arm with Mayu's, trying to urge her along. No doubt that having Sai in her presence for so long was grating her on her nerves. The dark-skinned kunoichi hurriedly waved before complying with being dragged away.

Sasuke watched the two leave until they disappeared among the trees. Mentally sighing, he dropped Naruto. Ignoring the pained grunt from his friend, followed by the shouting, the Uchiha frowned. This wasn't the first time Ino had appeared, only to disappear with Mayu. Yesterday night, in fact, before he could persuade Mayu to show him her home, Ino had appeared. After having a conversation that he still couldn't understand, the two kunoichi left him by himself on the road to the Uchiha district. This was strange. He wouldn't think anything of it if it had been Hyuga Hinata. She and Mayu were best friends, after all. But Ino…? When had they interacted before?

"Sasuke, shouldn't you be a little nicer?" Kakashi's familiar drawl brought Sasuke from his thoughts.

"No," he answered, which caused Naruto to go on another tangent. "Are Mayu and Ino friends now? I thought I told you to tell me everything you knew about her." The blond shinobi blinked several times.

"… I don't know," he finally said. "There was that mission where they went after the Kazekage, though. They were together when all of us were separated. But that's about it. We left the village again soon after that mission, so…" He trailed off, probably running out of words. "So anyway, what type of mission did you guys get?" It took only a few minutes to explain the details of the mission. Sai finished up the explanation by saying that they had to meet with their client for a public appearance before two.

"That's cutting it pretty close," Yamato remarked. "It's already fifteen minutes past one."

"That's plenty of time," Kakashi murmured, rubbing his chin. "Sasuke, let's talk for a moment. Naruto, you rest." A groan of displeasure came from the blond, but he made no move to protest. The jounin walked away, motioning for Sasuke to follow. He stopped once he deemed it safe enough to talk without the others listening in. This would be the first time in years that he would have a conversation with his former sensei. "It's been awhile since we've spoken alone," he began, closing his book. It wasn't the usual book the man read, but it seemed to be another in a series because the titles were similar. Sasuke forced himself not to roll his eyes. Had this man changed over the years? Probably not. "Do you remember our last conversation?" Bits and pieces.

"Yeah," Sasuke replied.

"Had that plan of yours already been in your head?" Kakashi asked. The younger ninja nodded. For a few moments, the man didn't respond. He was probably mulling over what to say next. "Why didn't you tell me?" That seemed to be the question on everyone's mind. First Sakura, and now Kakashi. Perhaps this would be the last time then? After all, they both felt that they should have been a part of the loop.

"Before you came over, I had only begun to think of this plan," he said. "As you spoke to me of friendships and comrades, I had been formulating. Not to say that I hadn't listened to you, but to tell you my plan without first completing it would have been foolish. You would have said that it was too dangerous to take on something like that. But besides on that, we were being watched." Expectedly, his eye narrowed. "I'm not too surprised that you couldn't sense them. They hid themselves well enough, but-" Sasuke touched his neck, where the cursed mark still remained. "-I could sense them. Faint as it was, I could tell they were there. It probably had something to do with our curse marks. Soon after you left, those four had revealed themselves. They made their intentions clear. Orochimaru had sent for me. It was then that the plan became to complete. Instead of seeking him out, it would seem less likely that I would betray him in the end if he sought me out. I took the chance and went to him, not telling anyone."

"What if Naruto hadn't gone on that mission?" Kakashi wondered.

"I'd rather not deal with 'What ifs.' What matters is that my plan was a success in the end," Sasuke muttered, letting his arm fall to his side.

"I've noticed that you haven't clearly stated what you were after, coming up with such a plan."

"Hokage-sama ordered me not to say... until she knows what to do with the information I've collected."

"I… see…"

"I guess I should apologize," Sasuke continued. "On some level, you must have thought that you failed as a sensei." The twitch of the man's finger made him realize that his assumption had been correct. "You should know that that wasn't the case. We all just… grew up." Kakashi sighed. It wasn't short either. It was as if the jounin had been holding back this sigh for almost three years. Utter relief is what that sigh told him.

"You have, indeed, grown, Sasuke," Kakashi agreed. "I'll admit that I was worried, but I see now that it was for naught." For a moment, both ninja were quiet, and then the jounin spoke again. "Could this growth have a little something to do with a certain kunoichi?" Kakashi didn't have to be an expert at reading people to know whom his former student was thinking of. He averted his gaze. However stoic his expression remained, the flushing of his cheeks was undeniable. A light chuckle came from the older ninja. _"So then you do have a cute side to you, after all,"_ he thought. "I'm glad we had this talk, Sasuke."

"Don't expect another heart to heart conversation. I hate shit like this," Sasuke muttered. It was obvious that he didn't want to speak about his feelings, but since Kakashi had been feeling a bit bitter about not being told of this super secret plan, he decided to have his fun with the young Uchiha. "Anyway, if we're done… then I'd like to-"

"To what? Look for Mayu?" Kakashi interrupted. The poor boy actually stammered out a negative response. "No need to deny it, Sasuke. _Hm_… Should we have _the talk_? I imagine no one has told you yet." The young ninja gave a blank stare. Now that he thought about it, Sasuke had been socially awkward as a child, naïve, too. Kakashi doubted that he'd know anything about that sort of thing. Now, at fifteen, he was as innocent as ever. The masked ninja couldn't imagine Orochimaru, sitting down with Sasuke to have _the talk_ with him. "Tell me, does Mayu seem… different to you?" The blank stare remained. "Physically, I mean?"

"Of course. She has her own body now," Sasuke answered. He furrowed his brow. "What does that have to with this _talk_?"

"Oh, you'll find out," Kakashi answered. Behind his mask, the copy-nin couldn't help the smile that had surfaced. It wouldn't hurt anyone if he was the one to tell the young Uchiha about the _Kunai and the Shuriken_. He was about that age, anyway, so as his sensei, it was really his _duty_ to explain… in detail. And tease him about it later on. It would be his personal amusement. "Listen well, alright? This information I'm about to tell you will definitely help in the future." And thus began the corruption of Uchiha Sasuke's mind.

0-0

Unaware of the storm coming her way, Mayu yawned loudly, and then lowered her head again. She blinked slowly, and then yawned again. It appeared that she had been left alone again. Yamanaka Ino had ditched her after they had trained. It wasn't her fault she fell asleep. Though, it was a bit annoying to realize that she was the only one of the two who had these side effects. "I wonder how long my nap attack lasted this time…" she murmured. Her body uncurled from its sleeping position. The kunoichi yawned again as she stretched. She felt underneath her nose. Good. Her body was getting used to this type of training. She hadn't bled this time around. Slowly, she stood up, stretching her arms up high. "I should probably head to that place now."

This time, she covered a yawn as she walked away from a destroyed clearing.

Mayu crossed her arms and furrowed her brow as she walked. It was now time to focus on her mission. It was simple enough. Protect the client. However, it wasn't that simple in this circumstance. The client, she was a foreigner not of this world. Somehow, some way, she had managed to come to this world. An image of the girl's true face came to mind. She had known the language well enough. There was barely an accent when she spoke. _"How long has she been here?"_ Mayu thought. Tenten had stated that her first single was released last year. Knowing that information didn't help to narrow down the date of her arrival in this world, though. Also, it bothered Mayu a bit to realize that the foreign person was a _Narutard_. Well, she could be assuming things too much, but the girl obviously had some knowledge of the show. But what type of fan was she? Could she be the type who hadn't liked a few things and would work to change an outcome or event? Or could she be the type who believed Kishimoto to be a genius and would mostly stay out of conflicts so that things would happen according to his will? Did she _know_ the series or did she _know of_ the series? There was a difference.

Admittedly, Mayu would choose to change. Having an effect instead of just being there would make her feel relief—relief because in some way she mattered. When Sakura had asked her how she felt about the mission involving Sasuke, she had lied and said that it didn't matter to her either way. Truthfully, she had felt angry with herself. She had thought she had interacted with Sasuke, but didn't attempt to change his outlook, which would lead him down a dark road. She had been so relieved to realize that things had turned out differently. Why would she care about that? Because Sasuke had been one of her role models—someone she admired for his fighting prowess despite his age. Mayu didn't think she could forgive herself if she had the opportunity to change _something_, and yet didn't.

Anyway, depending on what type of fan this Yasmine girl was would make this mission either easy or hard to get through. The kunoichi narrowed her eyes. _"I should find out quickly what I'm up against,"_ she thought. Nodding her head in determination, Mayu headed into the building where her client was currently staying. A hotel was her temporary residence, and only a few people knew about it. She was staying on the fourth floor. Before the kunoichi headed towards the stairs, she spotted the clock in the lobby. Time was on her side. There was still about ten minutes before everyone was supposed to be at the idol's event. It was enough time. She could speak with the client freely. Coming to her room, Mayu knocked softly.

Hearing the lock coming undone, the kunoichi lowered her arm. Seconds later, she had brown eyes staring at her. Standing right in front of her like this, Mayu could see that they were about the same height, though she was shorter. Under artificial light, the girl's shade of brown was lighter. Perhaps she was a hybrid. "So you've come?" she spoke as she stepped aside, allowing Mayu access to her room. The dark-skinned ninja frowned as she moved into the room. The foreign idol closed the door. "This must mean… you know, right? I mean, if you didn't know, you wouldn't have shown up here."

"Good. I don't like beating around the bush, anyway," Mayu replied, turning towards the foreign person. "Yasmine, right? How long have you been here?"

"Long enough," she answered with a sigh. "You won't believe how hard it's been for me! It's pure luck that I've gotten to where I am now!" Mayu blinked. This was… a bit unexpected. "I'm glad that I've found someone like me… Could we be friends?"

"_Uh_…" Really, she hadn't been expecting that either. "Su-Sure. Yeah, I guess."

"Great! Because of what I look like, people think I'm from some far away, remote village, but I can't exactly tell them the truth," Yasmine said. She walked forward and sat down on the floor, motioning for Mayu to do the same. "Even with your dark skin, you look similar to the people here… So how did you get here—some faulty appliance? Maybe the refrigerator exploded?"

"It's… actually a bit complicated—long, too, so maybe at a different time," Mayu murmured. Yasmine visibly pouted, but didn't complain. "How did you become a popular idol, though?"

"Like I said, it was pure luck. The village I was dropped into accepted my presence despite my dark skin. I landed a job at something similar to a club." Yasmine shrugged her shoulders. "One night, I got up on stage and started singing one of the _Naruto_ endings. The owner, as well as the audience, was intrigued because I had sung in English. I didn't really know the language well back then, you see. After that, my boss, put me on the stage every Friday night. After awhile, an agency scout came along. The rest is history."

"Wow that is pretty lucky."

"Yeah, and I can't even sing that well! Not to mention, the lyrics I use belong to people in our world."

"What? Really?"

"Of course! You're Asian—you should know. 'On Top,' is originally performed by BoA and it's really called 'Girls On Top.' Haven't you heard it?"

"Well, I don't know the song, but I do know of BoA. She's pretty cool."

"Yeah, I can't do anything original, so my entire album bites off of other artists that this world doesn't know about," Yasmine continued. "I'm pretty tired of it, actually, so that's why I'm really calling it quits."

"Tenten's not gonna be happy about that."

"I imagine a lot of people won't be happy about it—especially my manager. He does _love_ his money." She chuckled as if thinking of an inside joke.

"Speaking of your manager, where is he? And your stylist?"

"Oh, they, _uh_, had something else to do," Yasmine answered. "They're probably doing stylist, managing stuff." She shrugged. "But hey! Are you a fan? Do you have a favorite?" Mayu scratched her cheek and averted her stare for a moment. "_Eh_… Don't tell me you're one of _Sasuke's_ fangirls!"

"No way!" the kunoichi protested. "I mean… Well, not in that sense. I'm _only_ Gaara-kun's fangirl!"

"That's cool. I couldn't decide between him and Lee-kun for the longest time, but in the end, I couldn't resist the Green Beast's charm. I don't know _what's_ wrong with that Sakura girl!" Yasmine crossed her arms. "She's a very peculiar character that my alter ego _loathes_!"

"Oh yeah, I wanted to ask you. Is Yasu real, or just a thing your company came up with?"

"Oh no, she's real. Her name is Yasume and she has her own opinions about stuff, but I guess a lot of people believe that she's a gimmick," Yasmine muttered. "Split Personality Disorder is pretty rare."

"Do you hate Sakura?"

"_Meh_, I don't really care, but I do _love_ the Lee and Sakura pairing." She clasped her hands together as her expression took on a dreamy look. "What about you? Do you have a preference?"

"NaruHina," Mayu admitted.

"Me, too! Me, too! Kishimoto-sama is definitely a genius if that became canon!"

"I know, right? I can hardly believe it, Yasmine. We actually have a lot in common," Mayu beamed. "Let's be great friends!"

"_Best_ friends!" Yasmine agreed, grinning. She held out her right hand. The kunoichi nodded and held out her left hand. After their palms hit once, they brought their hands back, snapped their fingers, and made a '_pssh_' sound with their mouths. The two giggled. "How do you know Fresh Prince?"

"My mother's mom has an entire collection of the series. When I would visit her in American, I would watch hours of her collection."

"My parental unit would let me watch her collection," Yasmine responded. "It was a pretty good show, wasn't it?"

"Definitely," Mayu nodded. "What-?"

Before she could finish, she was interrupted by someone knocking on the door. "Just a moment…!" Yasmine stood up and moved towards the door. The foreigner glanced back, for what reason, Mayu wasn't sure. But it was just a glance. She opened the door. "_Ah_, it's you! I thought it was going to be someone else!" She moved, letting the visitor into the room. Mayu stood up as well upon seeing who it was. Hyuga Neji had come into the room. He was by himself, though. The genius ninja nodded his head in acknowledgement towards Mayu. "Is something wrong? I would think you and the others would be at the event already."

"Someone has to escort you," Neji replied. "I didn't think Mayu-san would have the same idea."

"You're not insulting me, are you?" The kunoichi placed her hands on her hips and glared at the Hyuga. He ignored her.

"Shall we go, Yasmine-san?"

"Yes!"

0-0

My job makes me exhausted, but I will continue writing for you lovely readers! :D


	18. Friends Can't Be Trusted

She didn't remember.

That was the undeniable fact that Hyuga Neji had concluded. Since he had picked the client up to be escorted, she had been nothing short of polite to him, going as far as to have a friendly conversation with him. She had behaved no differently from yesterday night before her alter ego had appeared and _told him off_. Admittedly, he had briefly wondered if she had been pretending. In favor of not wanting to deal with it, she hadn't brought their past up. After all, she had seemed more inclined to speak with Ishikari Mayu as they walked. However, she had gone out of her way to include him in the conversations she had with Mayu, though it was clear that he hadn't known the subject.

Despite what the client's alter ego had told him last night, it would appear that he would have to make Yasmine remember, and _then_ convinced her to forgive him. For a moment, Neji's eyes closed. He truly believed that he hadn't needed to convince her of anything. All this time… It had been three years since he had begun to think of his childhood friend. Thoughts of her, along with his father and mother, would sometimes drift into his mind. It had been after Naruto bested him in his first chuunin exam did he begin to think of them—think of them in a way that caused guilt. Guilt because he hadn't acknowledged his father's sacrifice. Guilt because he hadn't protected his mother. Guilt because he had turned away from his best friend. It was a wonder why these feelings hadn't overwhelmed him.

"… okay, Neji-san?"

The shinobi blinked twice, and the focused his attention on his client. Both she and Mayu were watching, eyebrows raised in curiosity. The kunoichi then grinned, muttering that he had gotten lost in thought again. Neji cleared his throat. True as it was, it didn't mean he was fond of people knowing that he often became lost in his own thoughts. "I apologize, Ya… Yasmine-san," he said.

"It's not a big deal. Since we're close, I was warning you about my manager," she replied. "He's definitely going to ask you to buy my album, but if you don't want to bothered, just say you already did buy one. He'll leave you alone after that… I suppose." Her tone was as doubtful as her expression. She had not worn her mask. However, as a precaution, the three had traveled through the outskirts of town. The client stopped suddenly, and then pointed ahead. "This is it. My sempai told me about this place." She had pointed to a large building. Judging from the look of it, there wasn't an entrance in sight. "She performed here three times since her debut. It's ideal for idols because getting in and out of the back to avoid fans is the key for this lifestyle. That's what she told me anyway."

"What are you doing, anyway?" Mayu questioned.

"There's a performance, and then I'll spend the rest of the event, posing for pictures and signing T-shirts, posters, and whatever else my company is selling."

"The life of an idol is hard, after all… Are a lot of people going to show?"

"Don't worry about dealing with numbers if a riot breaks out. There were a limited number of tickets sold for this event. My manager takes care of everything when it comes to money."

"Wouldn't a limited number of tickets make the profits go down?"

"Actually, he jacked up the price, and then went into a lecture about how people are stupid because they'll buy anything if it makes them feel superior or important. Lowering the number of tickets and increasing the price would make them feel like they got in. He wasn't wrong since we sold out."

"The more you talk about this guy, the crazier he sounds."

"He's actually the sanest person I've come across… and that's saying something."

"Why?" Neji asked. Both girls looked his way. Had they forgotten about him? He stared back at them until Yasmine spoke again. Well, she tried to speak again. However, a loud banging noise suddenly echoed through the area. Quickly, the Hyuga directed his attention to the source of the noise. As they were close enough to the building now, he hadn't needed to trigger his advanced bloodline to see exactly where the noise originated from. The back door had been opened in a rather violent way by the man Yasmine had introduced as her stylist. Dark short hair, which was slicked back, and the dark suit—it was definitely the stylist, though Neji couldn't recall his name. Unlike before, he didn't wear sunglasses. His piercing eyes were a strange shade of purple. Upon spotting the three, the man glared.

"Well, look who decided to show the fuck up?!" He pointed a menacing finger at the idol. "You know how much I hate it when Kaka… Kaka-whatever the fuck you call him rides my ass!"

"Kazuka-sama," Yasmine corrected.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah—real fucking creative, fuckrat." The man lowered his arm. "Now get your ass in here so I can put makeup on your ugly mug." He disappeared, not even acknowledging the two ninja. After a pause, Mayu turned to Yasmine, grimace on her face. Neji continued glaring into the building.

"He seems… nice," she sarcastically mentioned.

"Hadin-sama has a general hate for anyone that's not… him," Yasmine explained. "I've gotten used to it. Besides, fuckrat is what he _affectionately_ calls me." She grinned, as if proud of this statement.

"I DON'T HEAR YOUR FUCKING FOOTSTEPS!"

"I'd better hurry up." She took off. "Just find the others. They should be near the entrance!" Seconds after she disappeared, more shouting was heard from the foul-mannered man. The shouting faded the longer it went on. The two ninja stood there in silence, letting the wind play with their hair. Then Mayu turned to her comrade.

"That guy… I can kill him, right?"

"No. Absolutely not," Neji replied, closing his eyes. After a beat, he spoke again. "However, if you do, I will show you how to dispose of the body and make it look like an accident _if_ or when it's discovered."

"I think I'm going to like you, Neji."

0-0

It was relatively easy to find the others. Tenten had spotted them first and waved them over in an excited manner. Neji furrowed his eyebrows, coming to a stop in front of her. She didn't wear her usual mission clothes. Instead, she wore a light pink shirt, that didn't cover her midriff, with a yin yang symbol—black and red, same as the idol's mask—on her chest. She wore black shorts, too. Her large summoning scroll was still strapped to her back, though. Noticing his gaze, Tenten flushed and smiled cutely. "We had to buy shirts first. There's this guy who won't let you pass without buying something. Mine-chan said he was her manager." The Hyuga's stare lingered for a moment before moving towards the other two—Uchiha Sasuke and his teammate, Sai. The Uchiha frowned and crossed his arms, apparently annoyed that he had to wear something other than his Uchiha crest. His shirt was gray and sleeveless. 'Yasu—the badass one' was written on the front with white bold characters. Sai wore a black shirt with 'I Heart Mine' written in pink.

"Wow, Sasuke! You should show your arms more often!" Mayu exclaimed, stepping beside Neji. The kunoichi immediately began gushing over Sai as well, so she missed the reddening of the Uchiha's cheeks. Neji stared impassively at him. He could hardly believe it before, but it seemed to be true. Ishikari Mayu was Sasuke's girlfriend, and she didn't even know it, according to Naruto. He had asked the blond shinobi about Mayu's sudden reappearance in her own body, but he hadn't received a clear answer. Mostly because Naruto had no idea what he was talking about. Though, Neji had understood that Mayu had lost her memories.

"_Just like Yaya-chan…"_

"So how long before this thing starts, anyway?" Mayu questioned. "Did the manager say?"

"I believe ten minutes has to pass before he lets the fans in," Sai answered. "I have already sent out seekers to survey the area. They are looking for any place the enemy might attack and or escape from. The client will not be-"

"As if anyone would think of hurting Mine-chan!" Tenten interrupted. She waved a hand in front of her face. "I already told him those precautions aren't necessary!" Despite what his teammate had said—the client _was_ just an idol—looking around wouldn't hurt. Besides, knowing the environment before acting would be advantageous. Neji frowned as he looked around. It was spacious enough for a little more than forty people. The stage, which looked more like a runway, extended to the middle of the room. The room had a balcony. However, it most likely was only used by staff to control the lights. There were a few people up there already, though they appeared to be lazing around.

"I'm going to survey the back area," Neji announced. He ignored Mayu's question of 'Can't he do that from here?' and jumped onto the platform leading to the back. Truthfully, he had wanted to speak with Yasmine privately, which is why he had wanted to escort her here. However, Mayu had intervened unintentionally. As the Hyuga walked towards the back, his right hand moved into his left sleeve. In the pocket of his sleeve, he lightly touched the glass object. It was an object that had caused his amnesia in his younger years. Supposedly, it was a gift from his childhood friend. The manner in which it had been given to him had been violent enough to knock him unconscious. Her caretaker had come to his home, on day he had last seen his friend, and attacked him. If it hadn't been for his already angry and grieving mother, anything could have happened to him… besides the knot on his head.

Neji rounded the corner, finding himself in a hallway full of doors. He activated the Byakugan once more. The doors all lead to smaller rooms. The rooms were all empty except for one. Two unfamiliar chakra networks were four doors down. More than likely, it was Yasmine and her stylist, Hadin. As he approached the door, which was slightly open, their voices became clearer. However, before he could make out a conversation, a voice caused him to stop all movement. It was a deep, intimidating type of voice, though impassive as well.

"What are you doing back here?" The voice belonged to his client's manager. Despite only hearing the voice once before, Neji knew who it was. The Hyuga briefly wondered how a man with such a frightening presence managed to land a job as an idol's manager. He turned, facing the taller man. As muscular and big as he was, Neji had not been able to sense his presence behind him until he had spoken. The man still wore his sunglasses even in the darkness of the dimly lit hallway. His long dark brown hair was pulled back into a messy wild ponytail. What made him more mysterious was the mask he wore. It hid the lower half of his face.

"My job," Neji curtly answered. Besides his appearance, something about the man irked the Hyuga.

"Your job doesn't include snooping around back here," he retorted. "Go back to your comrades now." About to give his own retort, Neji opened his mouth. However, he heard a door open because of the low creaking sound it made. He glanced back. Yasmine had stepped out of the room. She blinked, seemingly surprised to see the two of them.

"Kazuka-sama, is there a problem?"

"No. I was only coming to inform you that they have been let in. You have another four minutes until you make your entrance," Kazuka stated. "Why are you not ready? If your tardiness costs me money-"

"Hadin-sama is taking forever!" Yasmine interrupted. "Take him away and I'll be ready on time!"

"No."

"Please! He won't stop changing his mind about the makeup! He's the one that's making me late!"

"I dare you to say that again, bitch!"

Kazuka sighed heavily, and then moved past Neji and Yasmine. Within a few moments, he was dragging a screaming Hadin—by the hair—down the hallway, towards the stage. The two teens watched them go until they could no longer hear the obscenities. "Works every time…" Yasmine muttered. "Neji-san… Really, I'm fine back here, so please return to the others for now." She smiled at him.

"_Ah_… yes," he replied, nodding his head. She was busy at the moment. Despite being his childhood friend, he shouldn't disturb her current lifestyle. That's right. They had been separated for _years_. Picking up where they left off just wasn't possible. Perhaps he had been approaching this situation too quickly. "But if I may… I would like to speak to you after this… It is important."

"After…?" She tilted her head to the side. Neji almost smiled, seeing her way of showing confusion. "You want to talk to me?" She shrugged. "Okay. We'll talk, but I can't promise you a time. For now, I have to get ready." Again, the jounin nodded. He turned and began walking back. He had completely missed the way Yasmine's expression had lost its warmth.

0-0

Sakura smiled to herself as she dropped her arms. She felt so lucky amongst this crowd of cheering fans. Master Shizune had given her the day off, along with a ticket to this event. Having known that her student was a fan, she bought one last night while Sakura had been stuck working at the hospital. What a great teacher to have, Sakura thought. Although, she had missed the reveal of the idol's face, this was good, too. Buying the album before seeing her live was a bonus. She couldn't wait to listen and memorize all the lyrics. Even the strange foreign words. She had always been good at memorizing things.

Mine-chan ended her song and bowed, leaving the stage. Personally, she liked Mine-chan more than she did Yasu. The softer side of the idol had such inspirational lyrics. Her debut song had made her feel great about making the decision to become a medic when she had doubts about choosing her path. It was obvious that Yasu was meant only for entertainment. She was pretty cool, though. A tap on her shoulder caused the girl to flinch. She had come alone, and she didn't know anyone else that also liked the foreigner's music. Sakura sharply turned around, only to hold back a gasp. "S-Sa-Sasuke-kun…!"

"_Ah_, I thought it was you," he murmured.

"You… _You're_ a fan?" She hadn't pegged her former teammate as a fan of Mine-chan or Yasu. Heck, she didn't peg him as a fan of anything at all. Sasuke scoffed and told her not to be stupid. He was as charming as ever. "Then what are you doing here?" The Uchiha motioned that they move elsewhere with his head. The people around them were no longer focused on one point because they were now dancing to the music playing. Sakura nodded, and then followed her former teammate towards the sidelines. It was a bit quieter than on the dance floor. Once, they had broken free of the fans, Sasuke answered her question.

"A mission. I'm one of the foreigner's protectors for a couple days."

"Which one?" Sakura joked with chuckle. Sasuke frowned, clearly not amused by her joke. "Co-Come on, Sasuke-kun! With their skin colors, they seem similar—like they could be related someho-"

"Mayu is not a foreigner. She was born and raised in the Leaf village. Besides, just because of skin color, they could be related? Then I suppose you and Karin could be related based solely on your hair colors?" It was obvious that Sasuke had become offended with the joke, though she hadn't understood what he meant when he had mentioned this 'Karin' person. The pink-haired medic hadn't meant any harm, but he had taken it too seriously. Then again, she had never known the young Uchiha to be something other than serious. Sakura bit her lip, lowering her gaze to the floor.

"Do you… really care that much about Mayu?"

"Don't ask stupid questions, Sakura."

"But she doesn't even remember you!" Her fingers clenched into hard fists. "Whether her amnesia was an accident or not, she…! She moved on. She doesn't even _like_ you. She said so herself!" Well, the kunoichi hadn't _exactly_ said those words. But it was obvious to Sakura that Mayu didn't like him when she stated that she thought it was not cool. As neutral as she sounded, her expression hadn't been as blank as her words. "She might not even _want_ to remember."

"Sakura." His sharp voice caused the medic to flinch. His tone hadn't changed, and yet there was something different with the way he had said her name. "You are someone I care about. I consider you a friend. I would fight for you. I would defend you. I would protect. However… if you talk shit about my teammate again, I'll make sure you won't do it again. Do you understand?" Green eyes widen. He was… He had just _threatened_ her, hadn't he? Why? Why did he go so far for _her_?

"It's all true, though!" Sakura bit out, glaring at him. "We were teammates for more than six months, Sasuke-kun. You've known Mayu for even less than that, and you choose her over _me_?"

"Are you jealous, Sakura?"

Her heat pounded viciously against her ribcage—at least, that's what it felt like. The sound of her heartbeat resounded in her ears, overpowering the sound of the music that filled the air. Jealous…? Was that what this was—jealousy? No. It couldn't be. Once she had chosen her own path, she had left that silly crush behind. Her feelings for Sasuke were… just complicated at the moment, that's all. "That has nothing to do with it," she replied. "I care about you, too. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Whether or not that happens, it's not any of your business unless it's physical."

"That's not fair!"

"…" Sasuke sighed heavily, openly showing his annoyance. "I didn't get your attention for this."

"Why did you get my attention?"

"I saw a familiar face. I guess it was a mistake to have a brief conversation in the midst of my mission." Sakura lowered her chin to the floor. Somehow, she had turned into the bad guy. "I'll try not to make that same mistake again." He turned and walked away before she could protest. The medic's shoulders slumped. It had always been difficult to speak with Sasuke unless it had to do with a mission back when they were teammates. However, now, it seemed damn near impossible to have an easy conversation with him.

_You should have been more persistent._

_Mayu, you probably were persistent in being his friend when he ultimately fell for you._

Sakura shut her eyes, remembering the words she had heard. Was it happening again? Every time Sasuke had made it clear that he wanted to be left alone, she had always followed his wishes, or at least tried to. Had Mayu been different with her approach towards the cold Uchiha? Her green eyes opened, although partially, and stared at the departing ninja's back. This… This was it. _"This is my second chance… to do things differently," _she thought. With that in mind, Sakura ran after her former teammate. She wasn't going to let this pass her by again. This time things would be different. This time, she'd be determined.

0-0

The performance had been a success. She had sung four songs from her album before leaving the stage. The crowd had been so excited. It had felt as though the building had shook. The client, Yasmine, did know how to entertain. It didn't matter that her voice wasn't as good as others. She had a strange charm about her. Her stage presence had been exceptional. Never mind the backup dancers. Her presence pulled everyone in. Maybe it was because she had been practicing for so long? Whatever the case, Mayu could understand the fascination her fans had. The way she used English had been a nice touch, and it must have contributed to why there were many who liked 'her' songs.

Mayu crossed her arms, scanning the people in the crowd. Currently, something like an intermission was taking place. This allowed Yasmine to change her clothes before greeting her fans and doing other stuff that idols do. As to not let boredom happen, music was being played. Honestly, it felt like a night club. Once, Megumi had dragged Mayu to one. Once. A riot almost broke out due to some middle-aged man, grabbing her friend in an intimate way. Ichiro had thrown a fit when he had heard about it.

Stifling a chuckle, the kunoichi uncrossed her arms and leaned back against the wall. She was, for the most part, by herself. Sai felt the need to survey the area again. Tenten had decided to check the back area. Really, it had been obvious that she wanted to gush over Yasmine and get an autograph before anyone else. Neji was on the other side of the room, most likely doing the same thing she was. He did seem like the professional type. Sasuke was… Mayu blinked, and then shifted her gaze in several directions. Where was Sasuke? That elusive Uchiha… She was supposed to be _watching_ him. It was annoying as hell, having to write reports about his daily activities. In hindsight, it hadn't been a good idea to agree to this mission… even if the team could be able to leave the village on missions sooner.

Mayu pushed herself from the wall and moved forward. Through the crowd she pushed, hoping to see a glimpse of Uchiha Sasuke. It was dark, though. Teenagers danced, not caring that she was trying to make her way through them. The flashing lights weren't helping either. Then she spotted her. The bubblegum pink hair color gave it away. Haruno Sakura was here. _"Is she a fan of Yasmine, too?"_ Mayu thought. The medic seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere, though. The kunoichi shifted her line of sight to where Sakura was going. Uchiha Sasuke, the person she had been looking for, was walking away from Sakura. When the medic caught up with her teammate, she grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to face her. She said something Mayu couldn't understand from her vantage point, and then she embraced him. Blue eyes widen in surprise.

Her lips parted as she watched the interaction between the two. Seconds later, she realized that Sasuke hadn't pulled away. _"What? Are they dating?!"_ She sharply turned her eyes away from the scene._ "Yasmine so not going to like this!" _Mayu squeezed her eyes shut. _"Well, anyway, I guess I'll give him some privacy this time around…"_ Frowning, the kunoichi maneuvered her way through the crowd again, towards her standby position. She told herself that the ringing in her ears was due to the loud music.

Not five minutes later, Mayu sensed her teammate by her side. She didn't want to ask him what she had witnessed, and so they stood in silence. Finally, Sasuke spoke up. "Something wrong?" he questioned. The kunoichi shrugged and shook her head. "This isn't like you."

"What isn't like me?"

"Being so quiet."

"So I was a loud mouth, was I?" Mayu chuckled. Finally, she looked his way. "How could you stand me?"

"It took some time, believe me," Sasuke replied, pulling his hands from his pockets. "But I did miss you. It's a shame the feeling's not mutual." Mayu nodded her head and frowned. "Still, it's good that you've come back in your own body this time." There were just some things he needed her actual body for. He hadn't thought about it before due to his innocence. Now, he realized that it would have been too weird if Mayu had stayed, looking as though she was Hyuga Hinata's strange twin. At Mayu's blank stare, Sasuke smirked. He definitely disliked the amnesia, but he was going to use it to his advantage. After all, in her mind, she was his _precious friend_.

Suddenly, the lights and music were cut. This caused Sasuke and his teammate to tense. As expected, their bodies reacted at the sudden change. However, the lights came back on quickly, though they were all fixated on the stage. The foreigner, smiling, walked across the stage. Her right hand gripped a black microphone. The lights followed her to the center. Once she stopped, she bowed to her audience. "Nice to meet you again! I welcome everyone to my mini concert. I am Mine-chan!" The crowd erupted into cheers. One fanatic male fan exclaimed that he loved her. "I knew it!" The way she had replied generated laughs amongst them. "Now that the performance is outta the way, we can begin the signing event. As to make this go as smoothly as possible, I will be coming to _you_. Wait for me. _Bang_!"

Sasuke nearly rolled his eyes because of the reaction of the fans. The client explained that once her 'bodyguards' were by her side, she would start. "Guess that's our cue," the kunoichi said. He turned back to Mayu once the cheering stopped. She smiled and shrugged. "Let's go do our job." The Uchiha followed his teammate towards the stage. The fans were beginning to squirm at the anticipation of meeting their idol face to face. This was the kind of atmosphere he hated the most. Crowded and hot was not how he pictured his first mission upon his return to the Leaf village. The others were already there, standing by the client's side.

"Let's get moving!" Yasmine exclaimed. She basically jumped head first into the crowd. A guy waved his arms around and foamed at the mouth before passing out… Seriously. It really happened. Sasuke stared at the body for a moment before turning to Mayu. She was grimacing because of the spectacle.

"Can we _not_ do this?" he asked. She only nudged him with her elbow and told him to deal with it.

And so it went. Fan after fan, autograph after autograph, picture after picture, randomly switching personalities, the client continued on as though she was having a good time. Sasuke, though, had been bored out of his mind. It was so tedious that he wished something else would happen. Perhaps he had been wishing too hard because something did happen. Towards the end of signing, he spotted Sakura. Truly, he had forgotten she was a fan and had intended to get an autograph from the idol as well. It was just his luck that she was the very last in line. And with the quick glance she threw in his direction, Sasuke just _knew_ things were about to get awkward.

"Hello," the client bowed politely as she did with all of the fans. "Is it me you're looking for? Or Yasu?" Sakura smiled widely, stating that meeting the gentler side was the best. Again, her green eyes subtly looked his way. Then she glanced at Mayu. Hyuga Neji shifted his body, most likely seeing it. He had keen eyes as well. Sasuke tried his best to ignore them. "And what is it that you'd like for me to sign?" Sakura pulled out the album from her back pouch.

"This please! I can't wait to listen to all your songs!" she exclaimed. "My name is Haruno Sakura!" As the client began writing a message, along with Sakura's name, the medic, once again, looked his way. Honestly, Sasuke was getting quite annoyed with it. "In my picture, can I make a request?"

"Of course."

"I'm actually here by myself, but one of your bodyguards is a close friend of mine," Sakura said. "Could he be in the picture as well?"

_Ah_. So that was her game, was it? Sasuke felt his eyebrow twitch. He wasn't aware of it, but he slid his tongue over his front teeth. From the corner of his eye, he saw his female teammate look at him strangely. He focused back on the client and Sakura. As she had yet to receive an answer, he chose to give an answer for her. However, Mayu beat him to the punch. "All of us are currently on a mission. As professionals, we will not engage in personal activities at this time." Sakura furrowed her brow, obviously not liking what she had heard. "I apologize, but you will have to take the picture with our client by yourself."

"I wasn't asking _you_," Sakura replied. "Sasuke-kun-"

"Sasuke-kun-" Mayu interrupted. "-Is not allowed to make his own decisions at the moment. _I_ am the leader of this mission. _I_ make the decisions and _I_ give the orders. Not the client. And not someone outside of the mission either."

"You…" Sakura actually glared and clenched her fists at her sides. "You're a hypocrite. You told me that I should have been more persistent, and yet you're halting my efforts." Mayu stared back at her, indifferent to her words.

"Perhaps you forgot, but I have amnesia, so I don't know what you're talking about, Sakura," she stated. "But right now, I'm just doing my job. Please carry on without my subordinate." For a moment, the two girls stared at one another. It was as though they were shrouded in a hostile environment. Interrupting their stare down would mean a premature death. The client didn't see anything wrong with breaking the intense atmosphere. She placed her hands on either girl's shoulder.

"Sakura-san, Mayu-san, please do not fight like this," she said. "If you must fight, then do it properly. Let's go outside!"

"… Mine-chan…?" Sakura murmured.

"Yeah, I like that idea," Mayu agreed, causing the focus to be shifted back to her. "Since I have first seen you, you've been radiating this awkward vibe when you're around me. Well, let's settle this awkward atmosphere already."

"Mayu, she's not a ninja!" Sasuke protested.

"But she used to be."

"That's right. I did," Sakura stated. "Stay out of this, Sasuke-kun."

"Then it's decided!" Yasmine clapped her hands, seemingly in glee. "I hereby release my bodyguards from active duty." She grinned. "Now let's take this girl fight outside, _ne_?"

0-0

That _stupid_ girl.

He had been watching the spectacle between the Leaf civilians. She had to go and make it worse. Though, he supposed that it was a good enough distraction. That girl was a curious one. Though she had such a sunny disposition, he had never quite been able to read her. Since he first met her, he had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that she wasn't whom she acted as. It was a strange feeling that he had repressed years ago, but it was still there. How was it that a girl, whom was so obviously naïve, came up with this type of plan? Her motives for doing it in the first place were unclear, shrouded in mystery. Was she doing it for her brother? Was she doing it for the organization? Behind black shades, Kazuka shut his eyes. He pushed himself from the wall and headed over his obnoxious partner.

"We're going."

"Fucking finally. I was getting damn bored with this shit!"

0-0

I was honestly going to add more, but I felt as though I've kept you readers waiting long enough. Stick with me! ... Please?


	19. Catch More Flies with Honey

Neji scoffed, observing those around him. It was taking a longer time for the remainder of fans to leave. In fact, security had to escort most of them out. Meanwhile, his comrades were scattered about the room. Tenten was in the middle of the room, pacing, restlessly waiting for the idol to emerge from backstage. Though, their client had released them of their duties for the day, she still hung around. Mayu was obviously anxiously waiting, but for a different reason. She hadn't wanted to leave Yasmine behind 'since she came up with the whole thing.' She was anxious at the thought of fighting—that much was clear. He had worked with her in the past, so he knew how she was to an extent. The only one who truly knew her had to be Uchiha Sasuke. At the moment, he was watching Mayu with an unreadable expression. Every so often, he would glance at his former teammate, Haruno Sakura. The former kunoichi's expression told him that she was having doubts about accepting a match with Mayu. The last of the team, Sai, had left already since he was no longer needed by the employer.

The only reason he had stayed was for the opportunity. The Hyuga left the shadow of the wall and walked towards the back of the stage, hopefully not noticed by the others. Though, they were probably lost in their thoughts by now. It was the perfect time. Her foreboding manager was nowhere in his sight. Neji glanced behind him once last time before going backstage. With long strides, he made it to Yasmine's designated dressing room. Like before, the door was partially open. From his standing point, he could hear loud hums coming from the dressing room, and then words. "_Lalalalaa_~!" Neji slowly opened the door to see the foreign girl dancing about in front of the mirror. She wasn't aware of her audience. She smiled at her reflection as she wiped the makeup from her face. "What a lovely little spy, my dear—you look divine~!" The ninja furrowed his eyebrows as she sang. "Things are working out, according to my _ultimate_ designs…" She threw the wipe from her hand, and then stepped onto the table, tilting the mirror upwards. "Soon, I'll have that little mermaid and the ocean will be _mine_~! _Hahahah_… _hahahahaha_!"

Mermaid…? Ocean? Neji stared at Yasmine's back, unblinking, as she continued laughing in a diabolical manner. The young jounin almost rolled his eyes. She hadn't changed much. He recalled the girl singing quite randomly whenever she had been waiting for all those years ago. Neji cleared his throat. The action caused the foreigner to flinch, almost violently, at being discovered. She sharply turned, eyes wide. "Neji-san…!" she nearly squealed. "You scared me!"

"Forgive me," he replied, successfully keeping the mirth concealed. "It was not my intention." Yasmine coughed, embarrassed, and then climbed down from the table. She murmured that she was almost finished and would be out in a moment. "No. There is no rush. In fact, I thought now would be a great time to speak with you." Her head tilted to the right. Had she forgotten already? "Yasmine-san, the important talk I mentioned before—could we speak now?" She stared at him for a moment before shrugging.

"This isn't going to take too much time, is it? I really want to see those two go at it," she stated with a grin.

"I'm… not sure," Neji replied. The foreign idol shrugged again, and then sat down on the padded stool.

"Go ahead then. Lay it on me," Yasmine said. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Suddenly, it felt as though his confidence had left him. Neji stood there, unsure of how to begin. Yasmine stared at him, blinking twice before tilting her head. "When you revealed your face, I was surprised," he started. The foreigner only sat there, waiting for him to continue. "But my surprise differed from everyone else because I had recognized your face—recognized you as a friend from my childhood. You are… Yaya-chan." He had expected a big reaction. Positive or negative, he had expected _something_. However, she merely stared at him, lips parted and brow furrowed.

"_That's_ what this is about?" came her incredulous question. At a loss for words, Neji was unable to respond. "I don't mean to be rude, Neji-san, but something like that is not _important_, especially not important enough to interrupt me going to see a fight." She stood, preparing to leave. Her eyes didn't even glance at him as she moved past. Her reaction hadn't been good or bad. It had been completely indifferent—as if nothing of their past mattered to her. She had remembered, and yet… she didn't seem to care. So then… this entire time, only he had been anxious about their reunion?

"Wait!" he called out to her. The sound of her footsteps immediately halted. Swallowing hard, Neji slowly turned to face her. Though she had stopped, she hadn't turned to face him. This stifling feeling—he hadn't felt it since he had learned of his mother's fate. "What happened that day, I wanted to apologize for it."

"Apologize…?" Yasmine repeated. Finally, she turned. She crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side. It differed from when she was confused. "Why? Because it's the right thing to do?"

"Because I hurt you," Neji answered. No matter how miniscule, he saw the slight widening of her eyes and the corner of her lips twitch. "Because it is so fresh in my mind, though I could not understand your words, I can see how you felt when I-"

"An apology isn't necessary, don't you think?" Yasmine interrupted. "After all, we were kids twelve years ago. Honestly, if I hadn't forgotten due to certain circumstances, I would have forgotten naturally, anyway, because of time. I'm sure you've only remembered because someone, not involved, unintentionally made you remember. What happened between us in the past should stay in the past. Your apology is not needed because hearing it wouldn't make a difference. It won't matter… to either of us." She stepped closer, looking directly into his eyes. "The point is, Neji-san, now you're just somebody that I used to know."

"Somebody…?"

"I used to know," she confirmed with a nod of her head. "Now you're just somebody that I used to know."

"But you don't have to completely cut me off!" Neji blurted out. "Are you honestly going to make it like it never happened… and that we were… _nothing_?"

"Yes," she answered voice full with conviction. The Hyuga flinched.

"But… I want your friendship. We were friends," he murmured, shutting his eyes.

"Friendship is a fool's desire," Yasmine retorted. "I don't need it. I don't want it. Its only purpose is to hurt. I refuse to be involved in a friendship. I have no friends, and I'm okay with that. I especially don't want to be friends with the person partially responsible for how I feel about relationships." Her words sank deep like a piercing blade. "So, Neji-san, after your mission ends, let's try to regard one another as strangers and move on with our separate lives." She smiled lightly and uncrossed her arms, dropping them to her sides. "It would be easier for both of us if we pretend we hadn't remembered, alright?" Not giving him time to respond, the foreigner turned her back to him.

"Yaya… chan…" Slowly he opened his eyes. At his sides, his hands clenched. "That day… Those words I said, they were a mistake. I hadn't meant it. I sincerely want to apologize for that. You had done nothing to warrant such words. Even if we were children, I shouldn't have said something like that to you." Just before reaching the door, she had stopped. "I want to apologize and yet you won't even hear me? You used to hang on my every word. You used to so strongly admire me, though I was child. What happened to you?"

"What happened?" Neji noticed the slight change in her voice. Even before she turned and slammed him against a nearby wall, he knew that it was the alternate ego. "_You_ happened!" Yasume hissed. "You are the reason that every friendship she's had with another person was destined to fail. You are the reason for my existence. You are the reason her uncle is dead! You are the reason she trusts _no one_!" She sneered. "As her defense mechanism, I can make her mind forget, but I cannot make her body forget. She subconsciously puts everyone at a distance, so she won't be hurt again. And that's _your_ fault, Neji." The 'defense mechanism' slowly uncurled her fingers from around his neck. She sighed heavily. "Move on… Forget about Yaya-chan. She doesn't even exist anymore."

She backed away from him, eyes trained on the floor. Her last sentence was repeated in a whisper. "How can I…?" Neji murmured. "How can I just forget? How can I move on after hearing all that?" Yasume backed up again, and then turned. She opened the door. "How can I just move on after you tell me that _I_ caused my best friend to suffer?!"

"That's _not_ my problem," she stated. "But if you continue to try, it'll turn into my problem… And I tend to get rid of problems very… violently."

Then she was gone. Neji squeezed his eyes shut. Pain was only one of which he was feeling. Had she felt this as well? With his unexpected harsh words, she must have. He truly hadn't thought she would come to hate him. No, she had come to feel complete indifference for him. Anger, confusion, sadness—she must have felt the same. But of above else, he felt disappointment. It was surprising. He had believed that finding Yasmine, and apologizing, would satisfy them both. He didn't think the outcome of their reunion would be indifference and frustration. Furrowing his brow, the Hyuga opened his eyes. He couldn't leave it like this. He had made a promise to himself and his father that he would unite with his childhood friend—the girl who had made a place in both of their hearts. Neji couldn't disappoint his father any further than he had already. And besides, he felt far guiltier than he had when he had actually made that promise. "Yasmine…" he murmured. "I will… definitely repair the bond we shared." Somehow, someway… Then a thought occurred to him. He and his father weren't the only people she had formed a bond with. Other than the Third, there was her caretaker. He couldn't remember a name, though. But he did know one thing. The man that had caused him to lose his memories of his former friend in the first place wore an ANBU member's mask. He had worn his ox mask the night he had attacked Neji. "I need to speak with him."

0-0

Wearing similar grins, Mayu and Yasmine walked side by side. The idol was leading them, Sasuke and Sakura, too. Neji had left, unannounced, dragging an unwilling Tenten with him. Their departure had been strange. The Hyuga hadn't even glanced at the client. She hadn't looked his way either. It had been strange, but Mayu was focused on others things like the upcoming spar. Her grin grew a bit just thinking about it. The kunoichi had a nagging feeling that this mission would end without any type of exercise, but with the appearance of Haruno Sakura came the chance to actually _do_ something _exciting_. At the moment, Yasmine was taking them to an open field to go at each other. Apparently, she had discovered a 'perfect spot for the girl fight.' Honestly, the foreigner seemed a bit too gleeful about seeing a fight. She was even humming to herself, walking with a bounce in her step. "Oh snap! These bitches—they act like cats, in the middle of the dance floor, preparing to scrap. They're taking off their scrunchies and they're pulling off their pressons. The one on the right is the girlfriend; the one on the left is the other woman! Someone please call-"

"Hey! I know what you're saying! It's not like that!" Mayu interrupted her little rap.

"_Eh_? Really? There's no love, love, hot romance triangle between you three?" Yasmine asked, appearing disappointed.

"You… must have read a lot of fanfiction, didn't you?" The question was answered by a huge grin. Mayu almost rolled her eyes. "Anyway, like I said, we're not like that. Sasuke is my teammate and friend—that's all." She shrugged. "But I guess Sakura doesn't really see that and now that I'm thinking about it, perhaps it's jealousy she's feeling towards me." Blue eyes glanced back at the medic in question. She and Sasuke were having their own little conversation, oblivious to the rest of the world. "I'm not only doing this for my sake. This is Sakura's chance to… get it all out."

"_Hm_? Chance?"

"Nothing, nothing," Mayu replied.

In some form or another, Sakura must have felt resentment for her. Even if she had forgotten, the fact remained the same. Mayu had lived a portion of Sakura's life. According to others' opinions, the kunoichi had deduced that she had lived Sakura's life from the beginning of Team 7 to the end of the _Zabuza arc_. However small it had been, that time period had been an important one. The introduction of the team, the countless missions, and the life and death situation they had been put in were important to the bond that Team 7 shared. However, Mayu had replaced Sakura. Though she couldn't remember, Mayu had made bonds with the males of Team 7. Sakura must have felt awkward returning to her life after it had been altered by another without her knowledge or permission. And it _had_ been altered. Most likely, Mayu hadn't even pretended to be someone else. Because of that, Sakura must feel bitterness, not only for being close to Sasuke, but for twisting her life around as well. So, not only was this a chance to stretch her muscles, this was also a chance for Sakura to take out her frustrations and bitterness.

_Sakura-chan… decided she didn't want to be a ninja anymore_

'_I'm going to start following my own path,' is what she said._

"_Also, I'm really curious to see how she turned out,"_ Mayu thought.

The foreigner suddenly stopped and pointed at the open field. "This is the spot I was telling you about," she announced, dropping her arm. "I explored the village before I was introduced to you guys," she explained. "My manager wasn't exactly happy that I snuck off to explore the village. _Ah_! There's the spot he smashed my face into the ground!" Mayu wasn't the only one to give her an odd look. She had sounded a little too cheerful when she had said that. "So let's get this started!" The foreigner quickly ushered the two girls to their 'corners.' "I'll be the referee since it was my idea." She stood in the middle of the two. The two opposing fighters nodded their heads. "Ready…?" Yasmine snapped the fingers of her left hand in Mayu's direction. The kunoichi smirked and lowered herself into a stance. "Ready?" She snapped them again in Sakura's direction. The medic dropped into a defensive stance. The foreigner snapped her fingers one last time towards the ground. "Fight!"

Sasuke scowled as the two girls stared each other down. Why had he been the only one that thought this was a terrible idea? He had spent most of the walk, trying to convince Sakura that this was a bad decision on her part. After all, she and Mayu had two different styles. Sasuke had a feeling that it wasn't just going to be their fighting styles that clashed in this match. Suddenly, he noticed that Mayu's shoulders tensed. Then her right foot shifted back slightly. These were her tells. This battle was about to start, whether Sakura was up to it or not. Like he predicted, Mayu ran towards Sakura, not bothering to boost her speed with chakra. _"Here it comes,"_ he thought.

"Show me what you've got, Sakura!" Mayu exclaimed.

The medic furrowed her brow, watching the—clearly excited—kunoichi steadily close in on her. Mayu was underestimating her; Sasuke, too. Just because she had turned to a different field, many thought she had forgotten her basic training. Many thought she had completely stopped her ninja training. Well, it wasn't true. The first thing Sakura had learned from Shizune had been drilled into her mind. _Never use your career as an excuse for weakness_, she had told her—emphasis on the never part. It was because of Shizune's teachings that Sakura was always… prepared. With a burst of chakra propelling her, the medic shot forward. She could tell that Mayu had been surprised from the widening of her eyes. The kunoichi must have been more surprised when Sakura disappeared and reappeared behind her. With a sharp elbow strike, Mayu's body fell forward and crumbled. Towering over her, Sakura glared. "Don't underestimate me!" she shouted. To her slight chagrin, the dark-skinned girl chuckled.

"Underestimate…?" she repeated. "I was only testing you out. Don't worry, you passed with flying colors. I hope you're ready, Sakura-chan. I won't hold back anymore."

"_Fuck…!"_ Sasuke thought. That was exactly what he didn't want to happen. There were two reasons why Mayu became worked up in a fight. From experience, he knew that if her warrior's pride was insulted or if her opponent made it clear that they were going to give it their all. She was weird like that. Mentally, the young Uchiha sighed. _"I did warn her, though…" _Maybe Sakura had a good plan? She had always been the smartest one on the team. But against Ishikari Mayu, would that plan be enough? _"That girl… She always has something else up her sleeve."_

Without warning, Mayu's leg shot out behind her. The heel of her foot connected with Sakura's abdomen. Before she could even groan out, Mayu's other leg came around in a sweeping motion, knocking the medic off her feet. She jumped up, and then came down, sole of her feet ready to strike. Sakura grimaced, but she managed to dodge the aerial strike by rolling to the side. Quickly, she put distance between herself and her opponent. Her hand lightly touched her torso as she panted. _"She's really fast…"_ Sakura thought as Mayu stood up straight. _"I'll have to slow her down."_ She pulled up her long sleeve, showing the senbon launcher on her arm. Smirking, her opponent dashed forward seemingly not afraid of the hidden weapon. Sakura sharply turned and took off. This must have confused her opponent. As she ran, her green eyes glanced back. Of course, Mayu was still following after her. Not going as fast as she could, she purposefully allowed the kunoichi to get closer. Just as it seemed that Mayu was going to catch up to her, Sakura jumped up, pushing chakra from her feet. With her opponent right below her, she grabbed and released the wires of her weapon. The poison soaked senbon hit their target. However, triumph was short lived because the girl's body turned into a log. "What?!"

"Sorry, but hitting the Dodgeball Queen from a distance is impossible."

Sakura's eyes widened. Her opponent had whispered in her ear. She was right behind her! A punch was thrown, but Mayu only caught it. With her left hand, she grabbed Sakura's elbow, and then roughly moved her, throwing her body against the ground. Fortunately, she recovered quickly just as Mayu landed. Her teeth clenched in frustration. _"Calm down,"_ she told herself. _"This isn't over!"_ The kunoichi sped forward, bringing Sakura back to reality. She inhaled deeply, and then released. "Ninja Art! Paralyzing Poison Fog!" Black smog spewed from the medic's mouth. Mayu had halted just before reaching the poisonous haze. She quickly retracted her steps, standing clear of the harmful gas. This was just fine with Sakura, though. The mist continued to come from her mouth as she twirled several times, shrouding herself in her own attack. Her mentor had taught her many things, but some things she had learned on her on. This 'attack' was the perfect cover.

Mayu narrowed her eyes, watching as the fog slowly dispersed with the wind. Sakura had tried to paralyze her with that, right? _"She must realize that in speed, I'm better. Good. Here I thought she was going into battle with crazy emotions."_ Finally, the gas disappeared completely, showing that Sakura was standing where she had been when she had used her poisonous jutsu. _"But if that's all you've got, then I feel guilty."_ The kunoichi slowly sank down on all fours. Her fingers gripped the ground before her body moved hurriedly across the field, towards her target. Before she could get near, however, her arm made contact with something thin and durable. Since she had been moving so fast, it pierced her skin, causing blood to seep through. Mayu grimaced, coming to a halt. She glanced down to see a bit of her blood on a long wire. She looked back up at Sakura, who wore a smug expression. _"A trap…?!"_ Her chin tilted upward, eyes seeing what she had triggered. An overly large decaying tree trunk was swinging in her direction. A split second later, and she would have been crushed. She had moved back just before the trunk smashed into pieces against the ground. However, she didn't notice the explosive note attached until it was too late. The massive explosion sent her hurtling across the field. Her body tumbled and rolled several times until it came to a stop, sprawled across the ground. Mayu lay on the ground, trembling. Not only did her entire body ache, but her ears didn't seem to be working properly. Having been so close, a high pitched sound was the only thing she was currently hearing.

The kunoichi slowly moved to her knees, fingers digging small trenches into the dirt. Then her vision blurred red. Blood oozed out of her forehead and slid down. Mayu's teeth clenched, and then she roughly wiped the blood away, allowing her to see clearly. Her opponent had set up a good trap, using the fog to conceal her movements. Smart. The dark-haired kunoichi hadn't expected a thing because Sakura had appeared in the same spot as though she hadn't moved. _"Since she still hasn't moved, then are there more traps?"_ Then how was she going to get close to her? The blast had sent her even further away from her opponent than she had been. Mayu clicked her tongue, slightly annoyed, mostly pleased. So she really didn't have to hold back, huh? Smirking, the young Ishikari tore across the field again. Sakura appeared slightly taken aback by the increase in her speed. Mayu felt her foot trigger another trap, but she ignored it for the most part. She did move to the side to avoid being crushed by a boulder, though, and then she actually jumped onto the boulder. She bent her knees, springing up high from the boulder's height. Descending, she shot toward Sakura with the use of chakra. The medic didn't react in time and got the full force from Mayu's head butt. Blood spurted from her injured nose. Fingers grasped the cloth of Sakura's shirt as the kunoichi's feet dropped to the ground. She yanked the medic down at the same time her knees sprung back up, nailing her opponent's torso.

"_Gah_…!" Sakura choked out a gasp. She fell to the ground, holding her abused body. Mayu was about to attack again, but the medic parted her lips and teeth, shooting a senbon from her mouth. The kunoichi hastily twisted her body to avoid the surprise attack, but the needle managed to glide across her cheek, slicing through the skin. Mentally cursing, she jumped several times away from Sakura. She lightly touched her cheek. Though, it was just a scratch, poison could have been used. But would Sakura really use something fatal against her? Blue eyes watched as the medic panted heavily from her position on the ground. One hand was placed over her chest as if trying to calm her heart. The white circle on her back moved up and down as did the medic's shoulders. It didn't seem like that was something she would do, but Mayu didn't have the luxury of taking such chances. She had to end this soon lest her body be subjected to whatever effects the poison had on her. Perspiration slid down her temple. The kunoichi clenched her fists, and then charged towards Sakura. Her hand reared back in preparation to strike the back of her opponent's head. However, she didn't count on Sakura abruptly turning. "Got you!" Both of her hands thrust forward, colliding with Mayu's chest. The impact didn't exactly hurt, though. The kunoichi curled her body in midair and moved to land. But her landing was way off because her left foot had suddenly gone numb. She crashed and slid back. "_Hmph_! It working already!"

"What? Ho-How?!"

"Did you forget? I'm a medic. I healed myself." Mayu narrowed her eyes. So that's what she had been doing while her back was turned? Shit. "Also, that scratch on your cheek is taking its toll on you. The senbon was laced with a paralyzing poison. It starts from the feet, and then gradually moves upward, causing your entire body to become immobile. My last attack slowed your reaction time down, too. Basically, you've become unable to move effectively. So just stand right there." After her explanation, Sakura raced forward. Shit. This was definitely going to hurt. And hurt it did. The medic released a combination of punches and kicks, and Mayu had no choice but to take it. She had tried, in vain, to block and dodge. It was futile. "OKAY!" The pink-haired medic finished her furious assault by ramming her fist into Mayu's cheek. Her body twirled as she moved through the air, coming to stop only after skidding painfully. "I'm not done yet!" Mayu struggled to sit up. Up to her knees, she felt nothing. The poison was working hella fast. The Ishikari kept her gaze on Sakura as she ran through a couple hand signs. Out of nowhere, a copy of the medic appeared, but the colors were shades of grey. "Kick ass!" The two medics drew their dominant fists back, and then outstretched their arms in Mayu's direction. "SHANNARO!" A large beam of pink light emitted from their fists. Eyes widening, the kunoichi couldn't dodge the oncoming attack.

Mayu was completely overwhelmed. Smirking, Sakura watched the kunoichi's body convulse on the ground due to the genjutsu she had placed her under. It would be over soon, but the effects it would have on her mind, not to mention the physical damage, would surely make her the winner of this fight. Then the shaking stopped. Sakura's brow furrowed at the cease of movement from her opponent. That… didn't usually happen. Hesitantly, the medic made her way over to her fallen comrade. Her body stilled, suppressing her healer instincts for the time being. Just a few meters away, Mayu suddenly sprang to life, glaring hard. "Okay. _Now_ I'm pissed!" Sakura felt the fine hairs on her arm stand on end as a chill swept through her. She didn't understand why, though. In her current state, Mayu couldn't do _anything_. And what was she suddenly so pissed about, anyway? "You're going to regret messing with a Master Ishikari's mind!"

"Please! You can't do anything!" Sakura's conviction swelled as she retorted. "It's only a matter of time before that poison takes over completely. It's _my_ win!" The medic broke out into a run. "You _lose_!" She looked her in the eye, wanting to see her own reflection about to pulverize the dark kunoichi. Just as she was about to deliver the final blow, her arm halted. _"Wh-What?! My body…!"_ Only about three more centimeters and her knuckles would have made contact, but her body was _frozen_.

"Too bad for you… I just don't like losing, Sakura." Swiftly, the girl's hands came together in a slew of hand signs. "Ishikari Style!" The ram sign was pointed in her direction. "Mind Transfer Jutsu!" Sakura could move freely, but it was too late. The switch had been made. She now stared, disbelievingly into a pair of green eyes. _Her_ own green eyes. Before she had time to freak out, a light feeling came over her. She blinked once and saw blue eyes. What? Did that really happen? Apparently it did because her body suddenly felt strained. She had only felt this type of exhaustion when she had fought Ino in their first chuunin exam. Sakura fell to her knees in front of Mayu.

"What did you do?" she panted out. "There's no such thing as an Ishikari style of the Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

"Obviously, there is," came the flat retort.

Sasuke frowned. He had seen this before. Mayu had switched looks before, but he had never seen how she had done it. Mayu's dark hair shifted to pink, eyes to green, and skin to pale. Though, she still retained her natural physical features, his teammate now looked like a relative of Sakura. _"Ishikari Style…?"_ he thought. _"We're going to have to talk about this… thoroughly talk."_ He had originally thought it was better to wait until she regained her memories, but he didn't like the feeling of not knowing circumstances when it came to Mayu. Speaking of the kunoichi, she had stood up. Sasuke had heard Sakura's explanation. The poison should have worked its way through her system, paralyzing her. But there she stood, looking quite smug. The medic looked as surprised as he felt. Her mouth opened and closed several times, openly showing her confusion.

"It's as I guessed. Your body is immune to the poisons that you dish out, so I decided to use that ability to my advantage," Mayu explained. "While I'm like this, your poison won't affect me. _So just stand there_," she mocked. Sakura glared and moved to her feet, just barely holding off the sole of Mayu's boot with her crossed arms from getting to her face.

"I don't _think_ so!"

Before either girl could make another move, the ground rumbled and shook violently. A blast of hot air came from north. In unison, the two turned their heads. "What the hell…?" Mayu murmured. Beyond the forest, maybe three clearings over, was a large dusk cloud rising. Her pink eyebrows knitted together. She could be mistaken, but that location—could it have been where Naruto was training with Kakashi and Yamato? "Sasuke-" The kunoichi had turned to ask, but the Uchiha had already begun racing in that direction. "Damn!" Mayu lifted her foot, and then followed after him. "The fight's over! Rain check!" she called back to Sakura. The medic clicked her tongue before turning her eyes to the confused looking idol.

"Mine-chan, it seems that there's danger in that direction. You must go to a safe place!" she exclaimed before she, too, left the area. With the speed of a ninja on her side, the pink-haired girl was gone in a blink of an eye.

Yasmine stared, unmoving for several moments. Then her eyelids lowered and a frown appeared on her face. _"I wonder… which one…"_ she thought. Her eyelids completely shut. She had wished things didn't have to be this way. But… One of them had to be the sacrifice. She couldn't save everyone, after all. Slowly, her eyes opened again. The foreigner released a shuddering breath, and then began walking. They would come for her soon. She had best get this over with. That ridiculous talk with Neji had took up a bit of time. If she was going to make the deadline, things needed to go as quickly as possible from here on out. No more interruptions. Her mission had to be carried out.

Tonight.

0-0

Yasmine sighed wearily, and then moved her gaze up to the ceiling. The reason for her sigh was because she was bored. Out of her mind. Despite the fact that she had been taken hostage. _Hm_… Perhaps 'hostage' was the correct word. It was probably an exaggeration on her part. If she had to guess, the reason she was here dealt with the explosion from earlier. There she was, in her hotel room, minding her own business, when ANBU appeared. Luckily, she hadn't been munching on a snack. Otherwise, that would have been an embarrassing way to die. Death by cookie didn't seem like a good way to go. Their sudden appearance had startled her so much, though, that they she had fell off her bed. Now, she was sure there was a bump on the back of her head. Yasmine didn't mind the dragging. She was used to it. After all the things Yasume had done in both worlds, being dragged away by authorities seemed to be the norm. The foreigner drummed her fingers on the wooden desk she sat behind. They had not taken her to an interrogation room in ANBU headquarters like she had initially thought. Instead, they had brought her to a room in the Hokage building.

Foolish.

She had been in this small room for a long time. It was beginning to irritate her. However, this could be some sort of fear tactic so that she would talk. Yasmine assumed that they had already searched her hotel room. Of course, she had been careful. They wouldn't find anything. Still, they must have thought she had information pertaining to those two. On cue, the door slammed open, nailing the wall. Yasmine stopped drumming her fingers and sat up straight. She recognized Morino Ibiki immediately. His scarred face and black leather trench coat was a dead giveaway. Mentally, she grimaced. They sent a torture specialist? Holy crap. Sending in the big dog for such a small fry? No matter, though. Yasume had gotten her into enough trouble in the past where Yasmine could effectively get out of the situation. In her head, she cracked her knuckles. _"Bring it on, Ibiki-sama!"_ she thought.

The man sat in the chair opposite of Yasmine. Despite his size, he hardly made a sound as he moved, except when he scooted the chair closer to the table. He clasped his hands together and set them down on the table. This was different. He had encountered many people in his day. Even the toughest man appeared slightly panicked upon seeing him. He had a natural intimidating presence. Then again, it could be from his reputation as well. However, this little girl showed no signs of fearing him. Examining her closer, she appeared to be anxious. Every so often, her brown eyes would glance beyond his stature to the clock behind him on the far wall. She was fidgety, too. Under normal circumstances, the clock would be removed. Usually, he interrogated ninja, not civilians. But there were times where he had interrogated civilians. The clock served as a distraction. When normal people became bored, using the clock as a distraction, information tended to slip. "Is there some place you need to be?" Ibiki began. She rubbed her chin. The man narrowed his eyes. She was about to lie.

"Not really." Her voice was low—another indicator that she was lying. Then she scratched the back of her head. "Well… Actually, I have to see my manager some time soon. He gets… angry when he doesn't know where I am." She leaned forward as if about to tell him a secret. "Between you and me, he's really scary when he gets mad." Ibiki raised a brow, but did not reply to her childish secret. The dark-skinned girl sat back again. "Why am I here, by the way? And could I ask who you are?" Her lower body faced the door. She had no desire to be here. And it seemed that she had no idea of her _manager_'s fate. But he couldn't be too sure at the moment.

"My name is Morino Ibiki," he answered. "You are here because the two that accompanied you to this village were Akatsuki in disguise." Her stare was blank. She blinked once before tilting her head to the side. She hadn't recognized the name? "Of the two, one of them is dead." The girl opened her mouth, but then shut it. Though miniscule, her eyes had expanded. She yanked on her earlobe, an indication that she didn't want to listen anymore. Regardless of that, Ibiki continued. "You are here because you are the only one who might know of their intention. It's clear to me that you did not know of their alliance with Akatsuki, but perhaps you heard or saw something as you've most likely spent a lot of time with them?" The girl rapidly shook her head.

"No way! Kazuka-sama and Hadin-sama couldn't be a part of A Cat Sookie!" she protested. Her butchering of the name further convinced Ibiki that she had no idea that organization existed. "They were with me and the company for six months in preparation for our tour!"

"Tour…?" he repeated.

"Yes. Originally, we were supposed to start in the Sand village, but suddenly Kazuka-sama said that there was no need to go there anymore," Yasmine explained. Ibiki narrowed his eyes. "We were supposed to go to all of the Five Great Ninja Nations."

"_So that's it, huh…?"_he thought. Akatsuki used this girl as a free ticket into ninja villages to gain excess to jinchuuriki. The Sand village was crossed out because they had already gotten what they needed—the Kazekage's tailed beast. The girl continued speaking; saying that there had to be some mistake. She completely believed that her manager and stylist were 'rough around the edges, but still good people.' "There is no mistake. They both attacked and attempted to kidnap a ninja of her our village." She flinched. "That is why one of them is dead. The one you call Kazuka—his real name is Kakuzu, missing ninja of the Waterfall village. Hadin's, as you called him, real name is Hidan, missing ninja of the Hot Water village. They were criminals."

"I… can't believe," she murmured, holding herself tighter. "I can't—I have to return to my company."

"I'm afraid that's out of the question. Like us, Akatsuki will assume that you have knowledge of secrets. They will come for you and they will kill you. You will have to stay in this village, with protection."

"But my tour-!"

"Your little music tour is cancelled."

Her mouth snapped shut. It was quiet for a few tense moments. Then she spoke again. "Which one…?" she asked. "You said one of them died, so… which one was it?" Ibiki answered her question honestly. It was the bigger of the two. Hatake Kakashi had been the one to deliver the final blow. He didn't tell her that tidbit of information, though. "I see." She shut her eyes. "Would it be possible to… see Hadin—I mean, Hidan-san?"

"No. We are… extracting information out of him," Ibiki replied. Besides, when they had found him, his limbs were severed thanks to Uchiha Sasuke.

"How long will I have to stay here?"

"As long as Akatsuki is out there, you will not be permitted to leave."

"Oh…" She now appeared drained. "Well, can I go back to my hotel now? I don't… I'm not feeling well at the moment."

"… There are a few more things that must happen, but for right now, yes, you may leave," Ibiki responded.

"Then… excuse me." She stood up, bowed politely, and stumbled to the door.

Ibiki did not see her downcast expression transform into a determined one.

0-0

_Ahhh_... I have realized that the pacing for this is really off. Regardless, the next chapter shall be the end of this arc. Don't worry, I'll go back to revising soon, so the chapters will be out quicker than what I've been doing. _Haah_. Hopefully, I won't become distracted by video games again. Teehee.


	20. They're Just Memories

Okay. I lied. This is not the last chapter in this arc. My bad.

Kudos to the ones who noticed the lyrics in the last chapter. That song by Gotye is amazing, isn't it? Should I label that as Neji and Yasmine's theme song? lol

* * *

><p><em>Chigiri Park<em>… It used to be a spectacular place where children played with friends and family. Two trees had shaded the entire playground from the heat and light of the sun. The beautiful flowerbed, that contained various brightly-colored flowers, is what attracted the girls to the park. The swing set had been one of the most popular things at the playground. The silver, metal slide had been the second. The small sandbox, being the third most popular, contained the palest sand anyone could see. If the moonlight hit the sandbox just right, it appeared to glow in the dark. Looking at this small place from her place on the bench, Yasmine sighed. "Twelve years… and this is what it's been reduced to," she muttered, closing her eyes.

The two trees that once shaded the park had been cut down over the years, leaving only stumps in its place. The flowers had wilted and died, and in their place were weeds. The swing set had been completely removed, leaving not a trace of its old presence. The big metal slide, they hadn't bothered to get rid of. It stood there, rusted; weeds grew up the slide and stairs. Weeds were now growing in and around the sandbox as well. They didn't seem to care that they had completely destroyed such a stunning place. Heck, she wouldn't have cared unless if she hadn't so suddenly remembered this place.

Her hazel eyes glanced over across the street. There used to be an apartment building there. The windows that had faced the park were always a good way to see it. She could see it clearly. However, that apartment building, where she had resided for a time, was completely gone. A number of things could have happened, but Yasmine assumed that it was one of the buildings that he been damaged due to the Sand and Sound Invasion. The location was close to the perimeter, after all. Yasume sighed as she closed her eyes. She tilted her chin up towards the sky, listening to the sounds of nighttime nature. It had been about an hour since she had left Ibiki. Although, she did go back to her hotel room, for some reason, she just couldn't sit still and wait. Her feet had taken her to this place before she had realized it.

This place… A lot of things had happened here that she had only recently become aware of. Memories vividly flooded her mind as if they had only happened yesterday. Yesterday. In a way, they did happen yesterday. An image of a young Hyuga boy appeared. _"Neji…"_ He held out his hand to her. Her eyebrows furrowed. The teen felt her upper lip twitch. The image disappeared. She wasn't upset over the past. The past met nothing to her. To her, it was irrelevant. The past didn't matter. What's done is done, and it couldn't be changed, so why bother brooding over it?

Then why… did she feel like this?

"Yasmine…!" She heard a voice, but didn't bother to move. Instead she opened her eyes. What she saw was a pair of blue eyes staring back at her. "So this is where you were?" The foreigner noticed that the kunoichi looked pretty beat up. Oh right. Last time she had seen her, she gotten the snot beat out of her.

"_Mm_," Yasmine nodded. She sat up straight. "I needed some air. Why were looking for me, Mayu?" The ninja hopped over the bench and sat down next to her. In her hands, there were juice boxes. Yasmine eyed the fruity beverage, suddenly feeling parched. Mayu chuckled, and then offered one to her. Smiling sheepishly, the idol took the small box of juice. Then she punctured a hole in the box with the straw. Even as she sipped her juice, she noted that Mayu curiously took in the surroundings. However, she didn't question them. The two dark-skinned girls sat in silence for awhile. It wasn't until they were both done with their drinks did Yasmine speak again. "You didn't answer my question, you know. Is there a reason you're here?"

"I'm one of your protectors now. I have to know where you are," Mayu answered, scratching her cheek. Her gaze slid over to the foreigner. "By now… You must know what happened." Yasmine stiffly nodded her. "Did you know…?"

"Nope. I can't believe I was with members of Akatsuki for that long and didn't know it! I didn't even get an autograph!"

Mayu's expression turned flat at the confession. She had almost forgotten that she was talking to a _Narutard_. "Apparently, they were using your tour as a way to get into the major ninja villages. No one would suspect an idol and her entourage, after all. They aimed to take Naruto. Luckily, he developed this super cool Rasengan and beat their asses."

"I… see…" Mayu noticed the somber tone in her voice. The kunoichi cleared her throat. In her mind, they were the enemy, but in Yasmine's mind, they must have become people she cared for. "So after you left with those two, what happened?" Hesitantly, the kunoichi began telling her. The three of them had arrived on the scene to find Kakashi and Yamato fending off Hidan, the foul-mouthed stylist. Naruto had already taken out the bigger one, Kakuzu. However, the blond ninja had used up his strength and had only laid there. Hidan had managed to get past Kakashi and Yamato. He had tried to kill Naruto in a fit of revenge. That had been when Sasuke got to him before he could get to Naruto. Without hesitation, the Uchiha had cut off Hidan's legs. It had come as a surprise when the Akatsuki member hadn't died. "That's because his religion makes him immortal. He won't die even if someone cut his head from his body."

"Really…? Hell, Kishimoto…"

"I bet he's still flapping his lips, taunting whoever has to watch him. Hadin… no, Hidan is spiteful like that," Yasmine murmured with a small smile. Her fingers curled around the juice box clutched in her hands. "I… want to see him." Mayu found herself empathizing with her. She wished she could see the people she cared about, too. An image of her surrogate family appeared in her mind. Not just them, but her friends as well. Although she wanted to see them again, that couldn't happen now. They were in that world and she was in this one. Permanently.

"I understand, Yasmine, but you must realize the situation. He is Akatsuki. He's dangerous, not only to you, but to anyone outside of Akatsuki. You can't see him again…" Mayu saw that the girl was about to open her mouth. "Not even to get an autograph, you Narutard." Yasmine pouted. Maybe she had been over thinking things? The idol was a huge fan—that much was clear. Perhaps she was only sullen about not knowing who she had been in the presence of.

"It seems so obvious now. Kazuka is Kakuzu and Hadin is Hidan. They look so different from what I've seen. Hidan's hair is silver or gray." The darker-haired girl pursed her lips. Yasmine must've noticed. "You didn't recognize them either?"

"To tell you the truth, I didn't get far. I don't know much about after the skip," she replied.

"But I do… Things have changed here. Like Sakura not being the Hokage's student—probably your doing, right?"

Again, Mayu scratched her cheek. "Maybe. I'm not too sure, myself. I was here before, but… I forgot." She sighed heavily. "I wish I could remember."

"Sometimes, remembering only causes problems." The kunoichi made a noise of inquiry, wanting the idol to elaborate. Her words sounded so ominous, yet filled with suppressed pain. Mayu knitted her eyebrows together. It was strange, seeing the normally cheery girl look so despondent. "No. It's nothing. Anyway, what did you mean? Do you have amnesia?"

"Yeah. I'm slowly remembering the things from when I first got here, but I won't be able to remember the second time until I hear a certain word or phrase." Yasmine's expression turned puzzled. "Oh right. I didn't tell you. I possessed Sakura's body—Hinata's, too." The idol's head tilted to the side and her lips parted. "Let me explain then."

Mayu didn't really know how much time had passed, but she had told Yasmine everything she knew, pertaining to her memories. She was a good listener. She didn't interrupt. Not once. By the time the kunoichi had finished explaining, Yasmine sat with her arms crossed and eyes closed. "So you… were actually _born_ here?" Mayu nodded her head to answer the question. "That's _crazy_. And your real mom sent you away?" Again, a nod was given. "That's crazy. Why?"

"That's… not really important right now," Mayu muttered. Honestly, she didn't want to tell Yasmine all the details about her past. Knowing her, she might just label her as Mary-sue. She shuddered at the thought. She hadn't read that much fanfiction, but she was sure that perfection was something many people actually despised in a protagonist. If she thought about it too much, perhaps she would begin doubting. Mentally, Mayu shook her head. This wasn't a part of someone's imagination. This was real. The kunoichi suddenly stood up. "Anyway, it's getting really late. I need to escort you home. Let's go." Pouting, Yasmine stood up as well.

After dropping the foreigner off at her hotel, Mayu decided to head home as well. Chances were, Naruto was still knocked out. Kakashi and Yamato were recovering as well. Luckily, Sakura had been there. She had immediately begun to heal Naruto from the injuries he had received during the fight. Akatsuki… They were stronger than she could have imagined. According to Yamato, Kakuzu had been able to take all three of them on by himself. Three of the strongest people she knew had had trouble with only one member.

Her eyelids lowered as she continued walking. _"As I thought… I need to get stronger. It's not like those two are waiting around." _At her sides, her fists clenched. _"But how am I going to do that?"_ She had learned all she could from her ancestor, Mitsuo. He, as well as Ino's ancestor, had moved on already. Was there even anything left to learn? _"I'll have to find it somehow."_ Mayu stopped abruptly. Her nose twitched once before she sniffed the night air. She exhaled through her mouth. "Sasuke." Not a second later, her teammate landed next to her. He slowly rose to his full height beside her. The kunoichi turned her head back. The town was in the distance. She hadn't even realized how far she had walked until Sasuke's scent caught her senses. She looked ahead to see the Uchiha district not too far away.

"That girl—did she say anything?"

"_Nah_. She didn't have a clue about Akatsuki. She believed them to be normal people," Mayu told him. Finally, she looked his way. "Did Naruto wake up yet?" Sasuke nodded. "That's good. How long will it take for him to be able to go on missions?"

"Not sure, but since its Naruto—he'll heal quickly," he answered.

"Good." She sighed heavily, and then began walking again. Sasuke walked as well. "Is there a reason you're following me?"

"Yes."

"… Care to elaborate?"

"No. I'm good."

"… _Aww_… Righty then."

With a roll of her eyes, the kunoichi increased her pace just a bit. Mentally, Sasuke shook his head. He let a smirk cross his features. Most likely, she was trying to figure out what his intentions were. His only intention, that time, had been to irk her. He liked messing with her almost as much as she liked messing with him. Almost. He was positive Mayu reveled in getting under his skin. He didn't mind that, though. Since it was her. The two of them made it to the crossroad. To the right was the entrance to the Uchiha district. To the left, further down, beyond the road, the Ishikari residence. Mayu turned, most likely to tell him goodbye. She opened her mouth to do so, but Sasuke had other plans. "We have to talk. Come with me." He beckoned her with a finger as he headed to the right. Of course, since it was Mayu, his demand was met with opposition.

"Who are you to order me around?!" she retorted. "I'm tired, damn it! Plus, I have to put something on my cheek or I'll be walking around with a bruise for more than a week." Without warning, Sasuke appeared in front her. It reminded him greatly of the first time their faces became this close. Meager centimeters away, time slowed down. Her eyes widened and her lips parted. It was the same feeling as before. Well, without the excruciating pain that came afterwards. Back then, she had pretended to be under Itachi's genjutsu and had attacked him viciously. "Sasuke…? The hell?" Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts of that man. She tended to do that a lot without realizing it. Smirking, the Uchiha reached up gave her cheeks a squeeze with his thumb and fingers, which caused her lips to poke out.

"You're lucky I like this mouth. Otherwise, I'd have to punish you for your impolite way of talking to me," he stated. Her glare wasn't half as intimidating as it should have been due to his fingers still gripping the lower part of her face.

"If you don't let me go, I'm going to light your ass on fire," Mayu threatened. Well, she could have said something else. It was hard to tell because her words sounded as though her tongue had become numb. But Sasuke decided to comply with what he thought he heard. Fortunately, he also decided to get out of swiping range of her because she had lashed out with a high kick. "Didn't someone teach you manners?! The least you could have done was to ask me nicely!"

"I don't do _asking_."

"Well, ain't _that_ the truth!" Mayu scoffed, folding her arms over her chest. "Honestly, what could be so important that it can't wait until tomorrow… and after a shower?!"

"We haven't spoken properly since I've got back to the village. Besides, you're the one who wants to tell me something." His words were met by a blank face. She forgot. Then it dawned on her. He knew because her eyebrows rose closer to her hairline. Mayu was so easy to read sometimes. "So let's just do that now."

"Fine, but I'm sleeping over."

0-0

Here it was. The second round.

Neji couldn't recall another time where he had felt this much nervousness. But he couldn't just keep things as they were. The jounin told himself that over and over again. It was because of that that he could appear in front of her again. Gathering himself, Neji rapped his knuckles against her door. Immediately, he heard something similar to a '_gah_!' sound, and then a thud. After a few silent moments, the door suddenly creaked open. She was flushed and sweat ran down her face. The foreign idol appeared quite flushed. "Ne-Neji-san…!" It also noticed that her forehead was turning a bit red.

"I… Are you okay?" he questioned.

"_Ah_…" She lightly massaged her forehead. "I was trying to copy Yasume's dance moves when I heard the knocking. I lost my balance and fell down." So… she was still clumsy, was she? Yasmine shook her head. "Anyway, what are you doing here?" She opened the door a bit wider. "Would you like to come in?" Neji nodded his head. The foreigner stepped aside, allowing him to enter her hotel room. "I'm assuming this is about my current situation. You don't have to say anything. I know that I'll be staying in the Leaf village for awhile because of Akatsuki." She shut the door and turned to face him.

"Yes. It has come to this, but… That is not why I am here," Neji stated. He had heard the news from Uchiha Sasuke at the hospital hours after the confrontation. Before that, he had been busy with other matters, so he had not experienced Akatsuki first hand as he had done before with his team. Neji turned, only to witness her frowning. She knew exactly why he had come to her. Yasmine laced her fingers together in front of her abdomen and averted her stare elsewhere. Already, she was putting her up defenses. "Please listen to me," he requested before she could speak. Her lips pressed together. "I had made a promise to myself to find you. Truthfully, after years had gone by without any signs of you, I had almost given up. I had believed that I would never find you. After all, you had disappeared without a trace. Then you appeared before me again." His gaze lowered to the floor before his eyelids shut. "But you have changed, and, to some extent, I am to blame. It is because of this that I wish to make up for what happened. Even though we were only kids, even though it happened over a decade ago, I cannot pretend to move on. I cannot let this be as it is. Yaya-chan…" Neji opened his eyes again. "I-"

"I… I… I…" she mocked, interrupting him. Her arms fell to her sides. "Do you know how _selfish_ you sound? Do you realize how out of character you're being right now? It is an unsightly thing."

"Yaya-chan, please-"

"Enough!" Again, she interrupted, narrowing her eyes as she did. "Why are you so hell bent on bringing up something that doesn't matter?"

"It does matter. Not just me, but you are also upset! This 'something' is preventing us from moving on," Neji argued. "Your unwillingness to forgive me now only proves how much our past still affects you." Yasmine was silent for a time. She shut her eyes and sighed heavily. As she spoke again, her frown was evident. Once more she told him to forget the past. "I will not! I cannot! Those times shared between you and I… my father… and your guardian—how could you want to forget. I understand that you are angry with me, but does that mean you must take that out on the one who cared for you as a child?" At the mention of her former caretaker, her eyes expanded. Her bottom lip trembled. She murmured something he didn't quite understand. But Neji knew his words had gotten to her. "I hurt you. He did not. He does not deserve to be just an unwanted memory."

"Re-Regardless…" Yasmine whispered. She tilted her head down. "You-"

"I found him," Neji stated. "Sawatari Jano, I can take you to him. Right now." While big things were happening with Naruto's team and Akatsuki, he had been preoccupied with tracking Yasmine's former caretaker. He had used Tenten as an informational source to find him. His teammate had useful information when it came to ANBU. It was through her that he had learned up the man's demotion and his current residence. "Do you not wish to see him? The man that took care of you? Or is it that he is also someone that you used to know?" He knew it was wrong, but causing her to feel guilt would, hopefully, cause her to… feel as he does.

"Shut up!" Yasmine's sudden shout caused Neji to flinch. Initially, he believed that she had yelled at him, but she continued. "I know what I'm doing! Just because you're there doesn't mean I can't think for myself!" She must have been speaking to her other self, Yasume. It was strange. Her eyes were unfocused as though she was blind, but she looked annoyed. Then her gaze returned to him. "Alright… Take me there."

"Yes," Neji nodded his head. He stepped towards her until he was at her side. "But I must warn you. Like me, he has changed. However, unlike me, he remembered everything."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, turning. She opened the door. The jounin moved and waited until she shut the door behind her. Since it was a hotel room, the door locked automatically. Yasmine turned to face him.

"You will see," Neji stated.

The two teens left the hotel. They walked in silence, lost in their own thoughts. The man, Sawatari Jano, currently lived with his family. He had lived by himself, along with Yasmine, before. The change in residence should have been his first warning. But he would let his former friend see for herself—the drastic change in her previous caretaker. Though the man did reside with his family, their home is not where Neji planned on taking Yasmine. According to Tenten's sources, he visited a certain place quite often. He, himself, had confirmed her findings because a relative of his, now known to be the Jano's partner, would go to that place as well after missions. Neji glanced at the girl to his left. He wondered… what her reaction might be to seeing him after all these years.

Well, he would find out soon enough. They had reached their destination. "This is it," he told her. They had stopped. Yasmine stared at him for a moment before turning a perplexed gaze to the business establishment. Ignoring that for a moment, the jounin entered, motioning for the foreigner to follow after him. Hesitantly, she did. Neji could sense that she was looking around, but he kept his eyes focused on the far corner of the bar. The man was still in the same spot—upper body sprawled across the table, glass still in hand. "He is there." Jano's appearance had changed drastically. Perhaps she wouldn't recognize him even if his face hadn't been covered. But with the appearance of the bar's owner at his table, it was a chance for Yasmine to see clearly. Words were exchanged, but they hadn't been close enough to hear. However, Jano suddenly sprang up, throwing the empty glass at the floor.

"I SAID I'LL PAY IT LATER, ASSHOLE!" His shout, along with the smashing of the glass, caused many eyes to turn in that direction as well. Jano stood, nearly snarling at the poor bar owner. The older man bowed quickly and scurried away, leaving the former ANBU member by himself. The silence was then replaced by hushed whispers. He had certainly changed. His eyes were blood-shot. His long dark hair was a tangled mess. Clearly he had not shaved recently due to the short spiky growth of hair on his chin and around his mouth. Despite the aggravated look, he appeared weary. Slowly, Jano sank back into his seat, ignoring everyone else. He slammed his forehead against the wooden table and didn't move again.

Neji waited a moment before stepping forward. However, he did not sense Yasmine doing the same. He turned his head to see that she had remained rooted to the spot, eyes wide and staring at Jano's still form. Her lips quivered, and then her eyes narrowed. Her head slowly turned side to side. Body tensing, she, without a word, turned and ran out of the bar. Mildly confused by her reaction, the jounin felt he had no choice but to follow after her. Though, he had found the man, it had been years since the last time they had had a conversation. It didn't seem appropriate to walk up to him now. He had only known Jano through Yasmine.

He found her just outside, heading into an alleyway. Hurriedly, he caught up with her. Neji called her name, causing her to flinch. Her back was still facing him. "Why…? Why is he like that?" Fists clenched at her sides, her question sounded strained. "That isn't… how he's supposed to be. Mommy…" Her hand tilted down. "Why did you show me? I could have gone my whole life without knowing!"

"Yes. Ignorance is bliss. However, you should know that closure is better," Neji replied. She didn't respond to him, and so he went on. "You continue to say that the past doesn't matter and that it means nothing, but just because something happened in the past, does not mean it will not affect the present. Jano-san slowly became that way after your disappearance. True, I did not remember you, but it is because of him that I did not remember. You see, he came after me, wanting to know what I had done. In the altercation, I was hurt. I awoke later, not remembering anything. You had to see him this way. I showed you because you must realize that ignoring the past doesn't solve anything." Still, she remained quiet. Yasmine only somewhat trembled. Good. It meant that she was listening and letting it sink in. "The three of us… we have to talk. We should talk. It's what my father would have wanted. Yaya-chan, let's go back."

That's when he made the mistake of placing a hand on her shoulder. Her reaction to his touch was so sudden, that his body did not move to avoid or stop it. She had whirled around, fist striking his torso. Her other fist had landed as well—twice. In total, he had felt six strikes to his abdomen. Then nothing. He could not feel anything at all. His body fell forward, right into her awaiting arms. "Sorry, Neji-san. That was a reflex," she told him. Slowly, Yasmine sank to her knees, sitting his paralyzed body against the adjacent wall. "Really, none of this was supposed to happen." It had felt similar to the Gentle Fist, but she hadn't used chakra. Also, his organs hadn't seemed to come under attack. She had merely paralyzed his body.

"_Yaya-chan…"_ Neji thought for he could not speak.

Yasmine turned her head to the left, most likely trying to see if anyone had witnessed or heard the commotion. There was no one. After all, it was very late, and only drunkards still hung about this place. Her hazel eyes returned to him. For a moment, she only stared. Then she opened her mouth. "I would apologize a thousand times for doing this to you, but… I am already late. Don't worry, though. Your body will return to normal by the time I finish up." Neji couldn't even furrow his eyebrows in confusion. Yasmine stood to her full height and stared down at him. "But I understand now—your reason for doing this. Your father, it all comes back to your father. Hizashi-sama…" She shut her eyes. "But that doesn't change anything. We can't go back, Neji-san. It's too late for that." She turned her back to him and sighed heavily. "The past does not matter to me anymore… because I've already chosen my future. Please understand, and then let me fade from your mind… because I do not belong there." The wind picked up, harshly tossing around lightweight objects. As Neji was staring up, he couldn't help but notice something on the back of the teen's neck. He was sure it was a tattoo. It was only a glimpse, but it looked familiar to him.

A red cloud outlined in white.

0-0

"This is who I am~! So I just want to be true to myself~!" Mayu sang as she dried her hair. She hummed more lyrics as she entered the room where her teammate was. Sasuke rolled his eyes as she sat down across from him. The kunoichi must have felt his gaze because she stopped humming and let the towel fall from her head. "What? It's _catchy_! Maybe I should have gotten the CD?" The shinobi gave her a look. "_Eff_ you, Sasuke! I have the voice of an angel!"

"Yeah, from hell, maybe," he retorted. The Uchiha ignored her rude hand gesture in favoring of eyeing her current attire. "Are you… wearing my boxers…?" Mayu looked down at herself. "And one of my shirts?" It was the same shirt he had been ordered to buy at that idol's event. The boxers were definitely his because of the Uchiha crest sewed on the left side of the blue undergarment.

"Well, what do you expect?" She only shrugged. "You basically forced me here. It's not like I had a change of clothes." She didn't seem to notice his flushed cheeks. Sasuke slid his tongue over his front teeth and averted his stare. "So… you wanna start? Or should I?" Her eyes shut. "Well, since I brought it up, I'll go. Truth is… I have something in common with you—a couple of things, actually." Sasuke frowned. "I'd say our biggest connection would be our clans. For generations, the Ishikari clan was hidden from the rest of the village. Though our location is close to your district, the Uchiha had no idea." Mayu opened her eyes, yet her gaze was on the floor. "But before I get into all that, I guess I should make it clear that I didn't know this information before. When Hinata and I were sharing, I didn't know, so it's not like I purposefully hid this all from you."

"I know that. You must have recently acquired memories of your childhood because you heard a word, right?" Sasuke questioned. She nodded her head in confirmation. "What was the word, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Nana, that's the name of my feline partner. She's my summoning," Mayu answered. A summoning…? Naruto's words echoed in his mind. Trigger word, he had called it. The blond had said something about the word being insignificantly important, but that didn't make sense. How could anything be vital yet trivial at the same time? Anyway, he wasn't any closer to figure out what word might trigger her locked memories of her time as Hinata's unusual clone. "Because I heard Nana's name, I remember clearly the things that happened to me and my clan," Mayu continued. "We were discovered because of me. I was careless and that is when an Uchiha found me. That Uchiha is your brother, Sasuke." Ah. He had almost forgotten. Mayu wasn't the type to ease information onto others. Most likely, she enjoyed dropping bombshells. Then an epiphany happened. Mayu was the _daughter_.

"Mayuka," Sasuke found himself whispering.

"How do you know that name?" the kunoichi asked. He shook his head a bit.

"I told you already. The two of us found the Ishikari residence a couple years ago," he stated. "We also found that woman's diary. You are her daughter." Mayu nodded her head again. For a few moments, the two didn't speak again. It was heavy—this news. Mayu knew his brother. Itachi knew about the Ishikari clan… and so had his father. Though Mayu had forgotten that she was supposed to be his spy, she still had the knowledge of the connection between the Uchiha clan and the Ishikari clan. Itachi was that connection. "So what happened after he found you?" Sasuke inquired.

"I befriended him. You see, as my clan was a secret, I didn't have anyone my own age to hang out with," Mayu said. "You could say I was desperate for a friend, no matter who it happened to be. My mom knew of my loneliness, though I tried to hide it, and so Itachi was welcomed to our home anytime. It wasn't long before we all considered him family. But then Uchiha Fugaku found out. Things had been going so well, and yet my mom had begun to use harsh words towards your father. I think they had an argument, but I don't know the exact details." She stopped. It was because of that that Sasuke realized it must have been hard to speak of her clan. Her family was gone now—just like his.

His hand reached out, fingers wrapping around her wrist. He pulled her forward, and then forced her to lie down on her side with her back curled and knees raised. He moved his body in the same position. She, of course, asked why he had done such a thing. "I don't know, myself," he replied. Truthfully, he had woken up like this before. It had been one of those times when Mayu had taken it upon herself to sleep over. He had had a nightmare. That, he was sure of. However, when he had awoken the next morning, his body had felt relaxed. It had been unusual because nightmares had generally caused knots and tension in his body. "But that isn't important right now. Keep going," he told her. He remembered that no one had been there to just… _listen_ after all that had happened that night. For her, this was the least he could do. Mayu sighed heavily, yet nodded.

"Itachi… betrayed us. He killed my father. I saw it with my own eyes, never mind the other Uchiha clan members who were there as well," she murmured. "My mother used a forbidden transportation jutsu to send me away. That jutsu also erased my memories so that I wouldn't… know. Even with my regained memories, I still don't really _know_ what happened. Those few days leading up to it, that night—it's all very confusing."

"I understand."

"Well, of course you would," Mayu rolled her eyes. "You went through the same crap as I did."

"Do you hate him for what he's done?"

"… Yes. No… Well, I don't hate him. I can't hate him," she stated. Sasuke frowned. Though it had been years since he had seen her, he just knew that Mayu couldn't bring herself to _hate_ anyone. To her, hatred was a stupid thing to harbor for someone. "But I do hate what he did. Had I not forgotten, maybe I would have hated him. But since I did, I didn't go on emotions when I did remember. Well, after I calmed down, anyway." Her expression softened a bit. "Itachi—you're aiming to kill him, right?" He nodded. No matter what the truth, he would end Itachi's life. "Then… let me suffer a bit longer." Mayu didn't elaborate. Judging from her vacant expression, she wasn't going to—at least, not at the moment. Sasuke patiently waited for her eyes to focus back on him. She smiled. "For some reason, though, I feel better saying this all out loud." A tiny smile appeared. "It's weird. My mind is telling me that you're a stranger, but my body is completely comfortable around you. Is it the same for you?"

"… Not really. Your face is different, but you're not."

"_Hm_… So was there something you needed to tell me?"

"Not… not right now," he mumbled. "Not while I'm still unsure and you don't have all your memories."

From what Mayu had told him, he concluded that his initial theory had been wrong. It had not been an Ishikari clan member who had helped Itachi that night. The Ishikari clan had been wiped out before the Uchiha massacre had taken place. Still, there was no way Itachi could have killed everyone by himself. Perhaps it wasn't Ishikari, but he still needed to find out who had joined forces with his brother to annihilate his clan. This information wasn't nearly enough. Also, that couldn't have been all the information his spy had found out after they had separated. Her memories were definitely vital. Mayu suddenly sat up, frowning. Slowly, Sasuke did the same.

"When we were fighting before—when we didn't realize our relationship—I said something to you, but you neither denied or confirmed it," she began. Her eyes narrowed. "Since you've been gone, have you been on drugs?" That was not a question he had been expecting to hear from her. From _anyone_. Now that it was brought to his attention again by _her_, he almost felt… ashamed. "Well, is it true?"

"… How did you find out?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, besides the obvious—I was your opponent, after all—I found a lab in that hideout. That's where I picked up a few things regarding your body. I couldn't really understand it myself, so I took it to Tsunade-sama," Mayu replied. "She told me that there was nothing to worry about, concerning your body going through a withdrawal state due to not being on them anymore. I was relieved, but I-" She crossed her arms and leaned forward a bit. "I can't figure it out. Why do I feel disappointed, Sasuke?" The young Uchiha swallowed hard. He knew the reason. It was same reason he felt ashamed.

"When we were younger, I promised that someday we would fight without outside help. By using drugs to get stronger, I-"

"I see," Mayu interrupted. She frowned. "This whole amnesia thing is crazy. When I first saw you, I felt so excited. At first, I thought it was because I was about to fight you, but it was _after_ I found out about the drugs that I felt that way. I wonder if this means that not only my body remembers, but my feelings hazily remembers as well? I want my mind to remember as well. I kinda hate feeling like this—these conflicting emotions." The kunoichi shut her eyes again. "But, at least this way, I feel like I'm getting closer to the trigger word. So hurry up and make me remember."

"I don't take orders, especially from people who can't remember shit," Sasuke gave a snarky reply. The girl's eyebrows knitted together as she glared. Her reaction only caused the Uchiha to smirk. Then she mirrored his expression. He saw her shoulders go up a bit, so he knew what she was planning. Though he had predicted, he could not stop the yelp of surprise that escaped him when his teammate suddenly tackled him. It wasn't the tackle, itself, that made him yelp. It was the feeling of her breasts pressed against his chest as they went down. Like the many times she had appeared in his dreams, Mayu straddled his stomach, legs pushed against his sides, and hands holding his wrists above his head. She grinned down at him. No matter how fruitless it was, Sasuke fought to keep his blush at bay.

"Well, what about someone who can pin you?" she asked, having no clue what effect her position had on him. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched, showing his slight annoyance. He mostly enjoyed it, though. Still, he tried to growl, and then ordered her to get off him. Mayu did so slowly, not bothering to conceal her smug look. With her guard lowered, the shinobi took this chance to take _her_ down. The kunoichi let out a cry of surprise, and perhaps glee, as she fell over because of his weight. They rolled around the room, struggling to gain the upper hand. Grunting and groaning, the two ninja wrestled about, not noticing the slight destruction their struggles were causing. Finally, Sasuke's back slammed against the floor. Lightly panting, Mayu hovered over him, fingers digging into his shoulders. Her insolent smile came back. "Pinned ya _again_," she announced. Once she was satisfied with her apparent win, the dark-haired girl moved, intending on letting him up, but Sasuke had other plans. He wrapped his fingers around her arms, halting her movement. "Sasuke? What?" Honestly, he wanted to kiss her _right now_. It seemed appropriate. The only thing that held him back was her forgotten memories. It wouldn't be right, considering the circumstances. Even if the current situation almost _called_ for it. Instead, Sasuke forced back the urge to capture her lips and sighed.

"I missed you," he whispered, loosening his hold on her. Mayu blinked, but then smiled. Her hands moved, palms cupping his cheeks. She lowered her torso until her forehead pushed against his. Sasuke found himself closing his eyes at the physical contact. "Mayu…"

"I can't wait to feel the same." The young Uchiha opened his eyes again, seeing that Mayu had shut her eyes, too. She wore a smile. Restraining himself grew a bit harder. The thing that truly irked Sasuke the most was that she was so close, yet so far away at the same damn time. He really didn't want to be sucker punched again because of a _kiss_. The kunoichi opened her eyes, still smiling. She then lifted her left leg and moved away, lying beside him. He turned his head to look at her. She continued speaking, but Sasuke no longer heard her. Her lips curled up in another smile as she spoke. The slight movement made him focus there.

"_Holy shit."_ He furrowed his brow. _"I really… want her."_ Neither teen seemed to realize that Sasuke was steadily closing the distance between them. The first time he had kissed her, he had felt relaxed. The second time, which happened right after the first, had given him comfort. Now, years later, he felt both calm and ease just because she was by his side. Of course, he still _wanted_ to kiss her, but a kiss wouldn't be necessary for the same effect. "Mayu," he spoke her name out loud. He must have interrupted because one of her eyebrows twitched. "You can't go away again."

"You're gonna learn to stop ordering me around, bird brain," she returned, and then smirked. "The same goes for you, too. No more secret missions. Got it?"

"It won't be a secret if you know about it, right?" His question earned him a laugh from the girl. Then she abruptly stopped and sat up. Almost annoyed, Sasuke did the same. "What is it?" Instead of answering him, the kunoichi breathed deeply through her nose, and then grimaced. "Mayu, what's the matter?"

"I smell blood… at least three thousand meters from where we are," she said. Her hand reached up to cover her nose. He had heard about her sense of smell. Her range was impressive.

"Why are you enhancing your sense of smell, anyway?" Sasuke questioned. She looked at him and blinked.

"Because you smell nice," she stated as though she were merely commenting on the ceiling's pattern. He could only stare back at her, words not quite reaching the tip of his tongue. "So anyway-" Her blue eyes shifted to the open window. "Usually, I wouldn't make a big fuss about smelling blood in the village, since there are many who choose to train even at this hour, but… No one usually comes this far out of town to train. No one comes near the Uchiha district." Mayu stood up and walked towards the window, appearing anxious. "I smell that guy's blood. Hidan, the Akatsuki member."

"That's impossible!" Sasuke stood. "I cut off his legs myself. There's no way he's moving around even if he is immortal."

"Let's not just assume, though." Mayu turned to him. "I've got a bad feeling. This district is a relatively abandoned place close to the boundaries of the village."

"Escape…?"

"Let's hope not."

0-0

This time... I am definitely telling the truth. The next chapter will definitely definitely be the last chapter in this arc. Promise.


	21. To Each Their Own II

An eyebrow twitched.

That was the only sign of discomfort coming from the chuunin. Truly, he was feeling frustration beyond anything he had ever felt before. Not only had he been called in to work, but the work involved guarding a loud mouth prisoner. Since he had taken his post, the prisoner had not stopped _talking_. Hearing someone ranting and raving about Jashin-sama, whoever the hell that was, had not been how he pictured spending his Saturday night. But he wouldn't let this get to him. No way. He was training to keep his cool under pressure. He would have learned earlier, like most ninja, but his sensei's method of training focused more on 'not letting up until its dead and then asking questions.' It was a wonder how his former team survived the mere year of being under her tutelage before someone had noticed how harsh the training was and decided twelve year olds shouldn't be put under those circumstances. It had been too late, of course. His former teammates had decided not to pursue this career. Perhaps he should have agreed with them back then.

Then he wouldn't have to listen to this jackass screaming about bloody sacrifices all night long.

Mentally sighing, the chuunin felt his eyebrow twitch again. Screw his training. This guy was ridiculously annoying. If he wasn't immortal, which the bastard kept mentioning, surely he would have been killed a long time ago because of his arrogant preaching. Hell, even his voice was annoying. "Shut the hell up!" He couldn't stop himself from blurting anymore. "You should save this bullshit talking for your interrogation tomorrow!" Finally, his ranting ceased. He appeared incredulous for a moment before a glare morphed onto his face.

"Fuck you, you filthy heathen!" The Akatsuki member nearly roared in outrage. Again, the chuunin mentally sighed. "I'm in here for hours and the first fucking thing you say to me is be quiet?! You rude bastard! Just wait until I'm outta these chains! I'll sacrifice you to Jashin-sama and only then will your measly life will become valuable." The chuunin eyed the man. The Akatsuki member wrists were bound to the wall above his head, leaving him literally hanging. Also, he was behind bars.

"Yeah…? Sacrifice me, huh?" he replied with a shrug. "You and whose legs, torso boy?" The prisoner's face contorted into slight embarrassment before settling on rage. Screaming out his utmost displeasure at the callous remark, the prisoner actively wiggled around despite the chains. This time, the chuunin sighed out loud. Nice one, Jiro. Work the prisoner into a tizzy. He was definitely going to be reprimanded for his unprofessionalism by his superior, whom was standing outside the door. Wait a minute… Why didn't she enter the room, dishing out death threats, like she should have? Ignoring the impulse to argue back, Jiro headed over to the door. A bad feeling suddenly came over him, though he didn't know why.

He opened the door to find a dark, and empty, hallway. Blinking, he stepped out, vaguely aware that his prisoner had stopped yelling obscenities. Hesitantly, he called out for his superior. She did not respond. In fact, he got no response at all. This was indeed strange because he was sure he hadn't been the only one guarding the Akatsuki member. This mission was kind of a big deal, so surely the Hokage would assign more ninja to watching over the loud mouth. Jiro called out again. This time, he got an answer. It wasn't an answer he was expecting. The sound of a kunai soaring through the air was all too familiar to him. Since it was dark, he didn't see it coming. To be on the safe side, Jiro jumped back into the room, face just barely missing the sharp end of the recognizable projectile.

Not a second later, a figure appeared in the doorway. Almost completely dressed in black, the appearance of the lone figure was eerie. Not to mention the white mask molded with a bizarre face. "Who-" he began. However, before he could get a complete question out, his torso was struck. The strike from the gloved hand had enough strength behind it to send him crashing into the opposite wall. Jiro gagged and clutched his stomach, and then he fell over. _"What is—I can't move!"_ he thought. The intruder stood over him, completely silent. He stretched his neck, chin tilting upward. The chuunin could no longer feel his limbs. "Who are you?!" he shouted in hopes of someone hearing him. No one came running.

"I am-" she started, raising a fist. "-the Dawn's Pet." Her fist came down, colliding with his temple. His world faded to black.

She stood at her full height, and then turned to face the smirking Jashinist. It had been harder than she had originally thought to incapacitate everyone on this floor. Perhaps she shouldn't have worn such an ominous mask. But it was done. "You're late, fuckrat," Hidan stated.

"Sorry," she replied. "Let's go, Hidan-sama."

0-0

Nose twitching, Mayu ran towards the large concentration of the enemy's blood. It was strong—so strong that it overpowered everything else. They were close to the immortal man. It was only a matter of time before they encountered. Blue eyes glanced to her right. Sasuke, staring straight ahead, moved beside her. They hadn't had time to gather allies for this, so it was just him and herself. Hopefully, that was enough for this Akatsuki member. Then again, he had been crippled by her teammate. Still, the kunoichi couldn't shake the feeling that, in the words of her surrogate mother, it was _about to go down_. She couldn't just rely on Sasuke this time. Not that she had before when they came across Akatsuki. The birdbrain had just charged in as soon as he had seen Naruto come under attack. Still, she wouldn't allow herself to stay on the sidelines this time. Akatsuki—the organization had been responsible for the death of her precious friend. She wouldn't forgive such an organization so easily. Even if Gaara had been revived in the end.

Narrowing her eyes, the kunoichi broke through forest and into the clearing. There, at the base of the wall, which surrounded the entire village, was a dark figure. The shadows hid the identity, but the red clouds were glaringly obvious even in the dark. So the Akatsuki member had tried to escape. But _how_…? He had no _legs_, and yet the person had already began to scale the wall, using their hands and feet. "STOP!" Mayu found herself shouting. Sasuke, though, moved quickly, flinging shuriken. The three projectiles imbedded mere centimeters above the rogue, causing him to halt in his advance. He flipped away from the wall to avoid more shuriken that Sasuke had thrown.

Under the light of the crescent moon, the person was more visible. It was definitely the dark-haired Hidan of Akatsuki. However, his height didn't match his body. Well, it seemed like something was a bit off. That's when it hit her. Those weren't _his_ legs. The Akatsuki member was being carried on someone else's back. Sasuke must have realized this as well. Both ninja of the Leaf village came to a halt. "Who are you?" The Uchiha's question was met by silence. Then the loud familiar voice of Hidan shouted his obvious discontentment.

"Why the fuck aren't you moving?! We were almost there!" The person turned around, seemingly ignoring their passenger. Dressed in all black and a white mask, the person didn't move again. Hidan had been held in place with a sturdy rope. His hands were on his helper's shoulder. Mayu squinted. Though black was the color choice of attire, she could see curves on the figure. A female. She rolled her shoulders. "Oh fuck no! I know what you're doing! I know what the hell that means, fuckrat! Don't you _fucking dare_!"

Mayu's eyebrows shot up. Almost instantly, she had recognized the insult. _Besides, fuckrat is what he _affectionately_ calls me._ The kunoichi almost shook her head in denial, though the words echoed in her mind. It couldn't be _her_! She knew Akatsuki—knew exactly who and what the criminal organization was. She wouldn't aide them. She wouldn't. She _couldn't_! Still, now that the doubts were there, they wouldn't go away. Her left fist clenched at her side. "You better show me your face right now," Mayu ordered. She couldn't help the bit of anger that seeped into her voice. At her side, Sasuke stiffened. Had he noticed? "If you're who I think you are-"

"Then what?" Her familiar voice interrupted. Mayu inhaled sharply. That light voice, that _playful_ lively way of speaking—muffled as it was—she had only heard it from _one_ person. No… No way. "What are you going to do about it, _Mary_-sama?" Her right hand reach up and took off the mask while her left hand gripped the top of the hood and pulled it down, letting thick brown hair fall down. Hidan indignant sputtering of 'nappy-ass hair' was ignored. "So it seems I've been discovered. If Kakuzu-sama were alive, he would most definitely not like this because this means I can no longer make them money."

"The idol…?!" Sasuke frowned. "_You're_ a part of Akatsuki?"

"No."

"Then why the hell are you helping a member of Akatsuki to escape?" The Uchiha wasn't going to fall for her innocent voice and expression. Though he demanded answers, in his mind, she was the enemy. And she wouldn't be taken out like an enemy. He took a glance in Mayu's direction. She only stood there, frozen. Why was she so-? Then it hit him. Something must have happened between his teammate and the idol—something important. At the moment, Mayu had the same expression she wore back when she had believed that he hadn't considered her as his friend. Different face, different situation, but the same distraught reaction.

"Actually, I would rather be helping Kakuzu-sama," Yasmine replied with a shrug.

"What the fucking hell is that supposed to mean?!" Hidan screamed. "You'd rather I be that bastard?!"

"Yes. Out of all members of Akatsuki, you are the least-" Her explanation was interrupted by a smack upside the head and angrier shouting from the religious man. "I was just _saying_—jeez! Besides, who's the idiot who got his legs cut off? Kakuzu-sama wouldn't have let something like that happened to him! As you are, you're just excess baggage, Hidan-sama." Again, the foreign girl was smacked.

"I still have my arms, asshole!"

"Hey!" Before the two, obviously immature, comrades could continue their banter, Sasuke interrupted with a glare. "If you're not a part of the organization, then give me a good reason why I shouldn't run you through with my sword." Mayu flinched, hopefully coming back to reality. The foreign idol blinked. She opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to decide against it. She tugged at the rope that was around her right shoulder and torso before lifting it over her head. Then she did the same for the rope around her left shoulder. However, she held on to the rope, ignoring protests and complaints from her 'excess baggage.'

Without a word, she tossed Hidan away from her. His incomplete body slammed against the wall behind her. "Calm down," she called back to him. "You're immortal." Her focus returned back to Sasuke, paying no heed to the 'it still fucking hurts, you ugly bitch!' from Hidan. The shinobi's eyes narrowed as he watched a smirk slowly stretch on her face. Also, it was as though her facial features grew… hard. "Run me through with your sword?" Her voice seemed to have changed as well. It was _harsh_. The foreigner had completely lost her innocent look. "I'd to see you _try_," she drawled. "I'm willing to bet my life that you're nowhere near as good as your brother."

At the mention of Uchiha Itachi, something inside of Sasuke snapped. Anger bubbled up and he couldn't control it. He gripped his hilt and suddenly he was in front of the foreigner, preparing to do exactly what he had threatened. The smirk never left her face even as she disappeared from his line of vision. Sasuke's feet touched the ground on the same spot where the foreigner had been standing. _"She's fast…"_ he thought. Sensing the girl right behind him, he twisted his body, only to discover that she was more than twenty meters away, standing in between himself and Mayu. She paid no attention to the kunoichi though. Her fierce brown eyes were on him.

"Impressive speed, dude," she complimented. "I bet you'd be even faster if you were still taking those pills." Sasuke clenched his teeth. His body tensed her at remark. How did she know he had been taking drugs to enhance his abilities? Better yet, how did she know he had stopped and as a result wasn't as powerful as he had been under Orochimaru's guidance? The difference in strength was only slight, but in the back of his mind, he had questioned whether or not to keep using them. "Unfortunately for you, my former sensei is five times faster." She shot forward, decreasing the distance between them within a second. Then her expression changed again—from insanely fierce to sickeningly sweet. She reared her fists back in preparation. Sasuke saw all this happening, but he could not prevent her strikes from landing. He fell to the ground, not able to feel anything anymore.

"_Shit…!"_ Mayu ran while pulling a kunai from her weapon's pouch. She flung the sharp projectile at the foreigner. Yasmine only performed multiple cartwheels to dodge and move away. Quickly, the kunoichi lifted the Uchiha, slinging his arm around her shoulders. "Sasuke…?" He didn't answer her. _"He's paralyzed…"_ She glared in Yasmine direction. "What's your problem?! Why are you doing this?!" The idol smiled and shrugged.

"It's his own fault for taking me lightly. Honestly, if you have the Sharingan, then you should _use_ it," she replied. "It's not like I killed him, though, so why don't you drop him somewhere and we can get this show started, _Mary_-sama." Mayu furrowed her brow in confusion. That wasn't the first time she had been called out of her name by the foreigner. She glanced at her comrade. There was no telling how long he was going to be out of commission. Things would get dangerous like this. Slowly, Mayu rose to her full height, bringing Sasuke up with her. She didn't have the confidence to retreat with him _and_ defend. So her only option was to fight. Mayu grit her teeth grasped the dropped sword, and then jumped backwards. She landed near a tree. Removing her excess baggage, she sat him upright against the base of the tree. His head fell limply. Mayu scowled at the sight before setting his useless sword beside him. "That's right, leave him there. Come at me, bro!"

"Why are you even doing this?" The kunoichi turned and walked towards the foreigner. "Helping Akatsuki try to kidnap and kill Naruto isn't something I'd expect you to do." She stopped, noticing the frown.

"You don't need to understand me, so don't even try, Mary-sama," Yasmine advised.

"Mary-sama! Mary-sama! Why are you calling me that?! You know my name is-" That's when a thought occurred to her. She was talking to a _Narutard_. A Narutard that had extensive knowledge, which probably came from fandom only. Oh no… "You think I'm _Mary-sue_?!" Mayu couldn't stop herself from screeching, feeling just a bit insulted. "Are you insane?!" Yasmine stared blankly for a moment, and then she blinked.

"Yes," she stated, sounding almost exasperated. "What, with the whole split personality thing, you'd _think_ it'd be implied. _Yes_, I'm crazy! I should know—my parental unit had me tested." She pointed a finger. "But that doesn't matter… You are not a character that Kishimoto-sama thought up. You were probably created by a twelve year old that only watched a couple of episodes of the show before deciding to stick you here!" The delusional girl curled her pointed finger into a fist and bent her knees. "As Kishimoto-sama as my witness, I will put an end to anyone that would dare ruin his plot!" After such a passionate statement, Mayu could only stare, lips parted, in disbelief. Then her gaze dropped to the grass below.

"So… this whole time, you were just pretending to be my friend?" she asked.

"Yes. Friendship is something I do not desire," Yasmine murmured. She smiled then as if an image of Neji didn't appear in her mind. "But enough about trivial things, Mary-sama. It's time to go straight up ghetto on you." Mayu's lip twitched as her fists clenched.

"Fine… But don't go crying like a bitch when you feel the pain!"

Mayu darted forward. She wasn't stupid. Though she had been in a daze, she had seen the confrontation between her opponent and Sasuke. She had to agree that the Uchiha had underestimated her due to her status, which is why he was in his current predicament. But she could berate him later for that. Now, she needed to focus on the idol. From what she had seen, Yasmine most likely relied on brute strength and those paralyzing abilities. However, her tactics had suddenly switched to relying on speed. Mayu would need to be cautious with this enemy. The kunoichi bit the inside of her mouth at the thought. Yasmine was now an enemy.

The girls' left and right fists collided with an almost thundering crack. Mayu twisted her body as she lifted her right leg, intending to strike her head. Yasmine blocked the kick with her left forearm. She then tried to punch her opponent's torso. Even one hit from the idol might prove to be fatal. Hastily, the kunoichi moved her arm down, deflecting the strike. She then moved closer, knocking her elbow against Yasmine's chin. The foreigner staggered back, wincing. She gingerly rubbed her jaw. Then went at Mayu again. The two dark-skinned girls moved back and forth, trying to hit the other. It was hard. The kunoichi found herself on the defensive, trying to keep Yasmine from hitting her. _"This isn't good." _Going at it like this wouldn't get them anywhere. Something needed to change. Mayu grabbed both of Yasmine's wrists and yanked her arms down. The movement caused their foreheads to smash together.

They practically bounced off each other, exclaiming in pain. Both hissing, they reached up to clutch their throbbing heads. Rubbing furiously at her skin, Mayu glared at her opponent, whom was glaring right back. Out of all the times she had done a head butt, it had been the first time she had experienced recoiling pain from it. "You stupid bitch!" Yasmine nearly snarled as she dropped her arms. Mayu reared back, frowning. A change had happened in the foreigner's demeanor and voice. Her choice was words had changed, too. "I'm about to go straight up ghetto on your ass!" That confirmed it. This must have been the harsh alter ego. She, without warning, appeared in front of Mayu, crouched down. The kunoichi could only gasp before Yasume viciously kicked her with her left leg. The speed and strength behind her flurry of kicks lifted her off the ground. Grinning, Yasume turned her body and rapidly kicked Mayu with her other leg.

The flurry of kicks ended with a hard strike to the abdomen. Blood and saliva spewed from Mayu's mouth as her body was sent hurtling backwards. Her back slammed into the wall, and then she collapsed. What the hell…? No wonder Sasuke had a hard time with the alter ego. She was way faster than anything Mayu had ever seen. If she was as strong as she was fast, the kunoichi doubted that she would still be conscious after such an assault. _"I can't… beat such a fast opponent—there's no way…"_ Chuckling enter her ears. Slowly, Mayu pushed herself from the ground and turned her head. She had ended up near the Akatsuki member.

"You might as well lie there," Hidan advised. "You won't be able to keep up with that brutal bitch." Panting, Mayu glared that the man. He merely continued to laugh. Annoyed, the kunoichi backhanded him. "_OW_! Fucking hell!" Ignoring him, she stood up, holding her stomach. He had been right, though. In their current states, Mayu would end up losing. Inside her mouth, her teeth clenched. Hell if she was going to let that happen. Her blue eyes glanced in the direction she had left Sasuke. He hadn't moved. She moved forward, and then broke out into a run. She could see the arrogant smirk of her enemy from here. Once she was close enough, Mayu veered to the right.

Yasume wanted to laugh her at attempt to be elusive. No matter what she did, the ninja wouldn't be able to match her speed. After all, she hadn't even used her full speed yet. Her narrowed hazel eyes followed Mayu. The darker-haired teen abruptly stopped and headed for her again. Yasume turned to meet the girl head on. She snorted. What a stupid girl. The foreign teen slid her foot forward, ready to kick the ever loving shit out of Mayu as soon as she was in range. It took her by surprise when the girl's hands performed multiple hand seals. "Ishikari Style!"

"Like hell that's gonna work!" Yasume quickly moved to the side as Mayu finished shouting 'Mind Transfer Jutsu!' She had seen the effects of that jutsu in the girl's fight with Haruno Sakura. The ability to switch bodies and take on that person's characteristics and powers—she had seen it clearly behind Yasmine's eyes. The actual transfer seemed to be faster than the Yamanaka style, too, because Sakura hadn't avoided it—probably due to shock. However, Yasume was faster. The kunoichi had missed her target. Mayu dropped to her knees, head tilted downward. Failing the jutsu, her spirit must be floating around somewhere, trying to move back into her body. "Dumb bitch." Yasume moved towards the fallen ninja. She swiftly brought back her leg before kicking Mayu in the face. Well, she would have kicked her in the face if it had not been for the arm that came up. Brown fingers wrapped around her ankle and squeezed hard.

"Dumb bitch…?" she repeated. "Look who's talking!" Yasume's leg was roughly pushed while her ankle was still captive. Her head and back hit the ground. The kunoichi moved on top of her, forcing her leg near her head where it pinned down her right arm. She was flexible due to training with her former samurai teacher, but the strain still hurt. Not to mention, Mayu dug her knee, painfully, into her abdomen. It hurt to breathe. Still, Yasume tried to punch with her free arm. That was swatted away and held down as well.

"Fuck…!" She glared up at the kunoichi, trying to suppress her panicked feelings. Like this, she couldn't use her speed. Hell, she couldn't do anything with Mayu on top of her. Yasume couldn't believe she had been tricked so easily. Ino had done the same thing in her fight with Sakura. As a fellow fan, she should have known Mayu was going to bit off of one of the fights. Speaking of which, her stare had turned cold, expression completely frosty. Her lip twitched.

"I didn't see what exactly you did, but I heard," Mayu murmured. "And when I can move again, I will pay you back for hurting her." What the hell was she-? Wait…

"Sasuke…?!" Fuck. She had forgotten where the Uchiha had been placed. Mayu had purposefully moved that way before, wanting her to dodge her jutsu so that she could switch with the _Sharingan_ user. Fuck. She was screwed when the kunoichi came back to her rightful body. Sasuke, in the body of his teammate leaned forward, causing more strain on her leg. Yasume resisted screaming. She could feel her lips right next to her ear. Oh God… _Yasmine_ was going to feel this in the morning.

"That's right, and I don't take too kindly to people hurting the people I care about."

"Go _sit_ on your _middle finger_, douche bag," Yasume retorted. For her remark, Sasuke was kind enough to shift Mayu's entire body weight on the foreigner. This time, the alter ego could not stop the scream.

Meanwhile, under the safety of the tree, Mayu tried desperately to move any part of her current body. It wouldn't budge at all. She couldn't even get the head to move or finger to twitch. Yasmine sure did have a horrifying ability. But right now, she needed to take care of her alter ego's ability. Her speed had been _too_ troublesome to deal with. Might as well nip it in the bud then. Once again, Mayu tried to move the limp body. Nothing. _"Oh well,"_ she thought. _"I just hope Sasuke didn't put me in a compromising position."_ Mentally, the kunoichi breathed deeply and closed her eyes. The light feeling that came with switching bodies washed over her. She opened her eyes to find herself hovering over the foreigner. _"… Sasuke, you ass…"_

Yasume felt the grip on her loosen and she took full advantage of that. She brought up her other leg, hooking it around Mayu's neck. With a grunt, she pulled the kunoichi off of her before Mayu could react. The alter ego rolled over, suppressing the urge to rub her sore leg. After a moment, she leapt to her feet—Mayu had done the same—and then hurriedly distanced herself from the dark ninja. She knew her limits. Close-range her speed met nothing. She used her speed to attack. The momentum of it all was the sole reason why she was threat in battle—as she was taught. Yasume frowned. She had always _hated_ disadvantages. Hazel eyes watched as her opponent's skin slid into a pale tone. Even under the night sky, she could see the kunoichi's hair gain a raven tint, the color of Sasuke's locks. Her eyes slowly opened, revealing red Sharingan eyes. Well, it was time to step things up a notch. "Shukuchi! Step Two!"

Mayu's eyes widened. _"What the hell happened to step one?!" _she thought as she dodged to the side. At least now she could see Yasume's footwork. She had moved faster than she had before, appearing like a blur with Mayu's borrowed set of eyes. Lurching forward to avoid the sweeping kick, her legs were thrust behind her. Her sudden attack actually hit the foreigner. The soles of her boots had made contact with Yasume's torso. "Just try that again! With these eyes, your speed is _useless_!"

"Is just seeing enough?" she questioned with a smirk. "Let me answer that for you with Step Four. Shukuchijutsu!" She completely disappeared, only to reappear right behind Mayu. She could attack and she couldn't do a thing about it. That's what Yasume thought, at least, right before the kunoichi twisted, elbowing her right between the eyes. The surge of pain she felt from the attack was enough send her to the ground, quavering.

"Admittedly, seeing isn't enough," Mayu replied, standing over her fallen opponent. "Sometimes, you've got to rely on your instincts. Unfortunately for you, I not only have ninja instincts, but I've got that animal instinct as well."

"Fuck your animal instinct!" Yasume blurted. Obviously, she was being a sore loser about this. Enough talking, though. She needed to subdue the foreigner and the Akatsuki member in order to take them back. "Its shit compared to the beast inside this one." Mayu raised a curious brow, genuinely wanting to know what the alter ego had meant. She had been laughing as if it were just a big joke, after all. Then her hands fell from her face. Her expression had morphed again. Yasmine was back.

"It's over, Yasmine," Mayu told her. "Just come quietly and just maybe I can convince the Hokage that you were being forced to do all this."

"… _Hm_…" The girl scrunched her face up, seemingly in thought. "_Naah_!" She rolled backwards on her shoulders and into a standing position before she charged. And the fighting began again. It was easier evading her blows this time around with the added help from the Sharingan. Yasmine wasn't nearly as fast as her other personality. Mayu had to wonder why she was still doing this, knowing that her opponent could overwhelm her at him moment. She frowned, blocking a strike to her back. Yasmine didn't make sense. Then again, she _was _crazy. After another failed attempt at paralyzing her, the foreigner back flipped away. She raised her left arm, closed hand. She did the same with her right hand, but it was held lower than the left. Her stance looked similar to Maneki-neko—the beckoning cat. Her surrogate mother had a fondness for the figurine and as a result, the house had been decorated full of the lucky cat. Hell, even her cell phone had a small beckoning cat key chain attached. Mayu almost shook her head. She really needed to stop reminiscing about her life in the other world.

"_What_ are you doing?"

"Something my parental unit made me learn," Yasmine answered. "Being in this world helped me to perfect it—Nekoken."

"Cat Fist…? You can't be serious?" came the incredulous question.

"Bitch, you just jealous of my super kitty swagger."

"…" Mayu deadpanned.

"I was watching Ranma ½ one day and my parental unit saw it and got intrigued," Yasmine shrugged. "If you ask me, she was a bit nuts, too, always trying to make me learn stuff. She called me her little sponge, you know." The foreigner dropped down on all fours. "But psychosis has nothing to do with this. I'm fully aware of what's going on. For years, I studied cats under the guidance of my parental unit, and then I came here… That is when I decided to imitate what I've learned and incorporate it into a fighting style."

"Big whoop! You still won't be able to _touch_ me."

"We'll see about that, Mary-sama. Even seeing and instinct won't be enough."

Yasmine dashed forward, using her legs as well as her arms and hands to move. Mayu felt herself scowl. What some reason, she didn't like the sight of her enemy moving like that. She was getting tired of just defending. Sometimes offense proved to be the best defense, anyway. The kunoichi slid her foot back, preparing to attack. Her right fist was launched, but her punched didn't hit. Yasmine had leapt up, performed a cartwheel in mid air and lightly landed on her outstretched arm with her left hand. Her nails dug deep into her skin. Mayu was surprised to feel pain. _Too_ much pain. It felt as though needles had pierced her flesh and sank down to her bones. This excruciating feeling generated high-pitched screaming. However, Yasmine wasn't done yet. Her right hand gripped Mayu's left shoulder, legs flipping over the kunoichi. As her body descended, her fingers slid down. Again, a scream erupted from Mayu's lips. It hurt… It felt like she had been cut open.

"You like that?" Yasmine stood behind her and moved her hand around the kunoichi's neck. "This kitty's got claws." Mayu barely heard her. She felt numb. But something was strange. That attack should have drawn blood, and lots of it. "Itachi-sama was the only one who had enough patience to teach me how to utilize chakra." The kunoichi sharply turned her head at the mention of the rogue Uchiha. "It's not thin or sharp enough to cut skin, but the damage it does on the inside is quite horrifying. The first person I did this to didn't even realize it… until he choked on his own blood." Her index finger lightly rubbed against Mayu's throat. "What to do…? Should I kill you now or strike you so that you die in three hours? I can go either way. Maybe I should have killed you back when you were unconscious with Ino. I'm sure that would have salvaged the rest of the story."

Shivering, it was then that Mayu came to an understanding. She lowered her gaze to the swaying grass beneath her. "Why are you doing this…?" she whispered. "You keep saying my very existence is ruining everything, but… you must realize that you aren't supposed to be here either. By bringing Akatsuki to the Leaf village, you either sped things up or slowed things down considerably. Either way, you had to have changed something, too. What did you really intend to do by doing all this?"

"Not that it's any of your business… But I had three reasons for coming to the Leaf. Two out of three ain't so bad," Yasmine began. "Also even the most hardcore Narutard wishes for…" She stopped, and then released a heavy sigh. "Even I realize that Kishimoto-sama is human and he makes mistakes just like everyone else. To save a life, sacrifices must be made. You understand, right?" She focused on Mayu again, pushing her own thoughts to the back of her mind. "That whole equivalent exchange thing…" Yasmine trailed off, noticing the way the girl's color scheme was changing again. It went back to its original settings.

"Release me," Mayu commanded. The foreigner would have scoffed if her heart didn't skip a beat. Eyes expanding, she felt the sudden urge to do as her enemy demanded. "Release me this instant." No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't ignore the powerful voice echoing in her mind. And as a result, her hands fell away from Mayu's body. "Now, don't move anymore." Yasmine stood stalk still as ordered. Inside her mind, Yasume yelled at her, wondering why the hell she was 'listening to this bitch.' The kunoichi turned slowly and faced the foreigner. "I don't like using this ability—not really, but extreme circumstances…" She trailed off, frown gracing her features. "I don't understand you. Why did you choose this life? Why do all of this? Answer me!"

"You've got your family, and I've got mine… Also, they had cookies and ice cream," Yasmine said. The nonchalance in her voice only proved to further confuse the kunoichi. Family…? What did that mean? Before she could ponder such a phrase, or order the foreigner to clarify, a white object, about the sign of a basketball, fell in between them. Mayu gasped, recognizing the item made of clay. Her body instantly reacted by jumping backwards. But the clay vulture did not explode as she had expected it to. Instead it floated harmlessly towards the foreigner's shoulder. Blue eyes looked upward. There, hovering in the night sky was Deidara of Akatsuki on one of his huge creations. His blue eyes glared down at her.

"You…!" Mayu exclaimed. In one moment, her fight with the arsonist flashed in her mind.

"Nii-sama…!" Yasmine exclaimed as well, having broke free from the mind control due to the kunoichi's lose of concentration. Deidara turned his glare in her direction. He even pointed a menacing finger.

"_What_ did I _say_ about doing _unnecessary_ things, _un_?!" he shouted. "You were supposed to wait, _quietly and patiently_, on top of the wall for me to pick you up! Not _lollygag_ with some stupid ninja!" The blond teen waved his hand in Mayu's general direction, prompting an offended look from the girl. Hidan's shout of 'I told her! I fucking told the bitch!' had nearly been ignored. Mayu, though, glanced back in his direction. She had forgotten about him. Yasmine began to protest. "No! No talking! Just get up here, _un_!" The vulture flapped its wings, and then lifted the flailing girl from the ground. She was dropped beside Deidara, whom had interrupted her before she could start complaining. "No buts! We're leaving _now_!"

Mayu had to leap out of the way in order to dodge the overly large clay bird that soared past her. By the time she recovered from the massive gust of wind, she could only watch as Deidara, along with Yasmine and Hidan, flew away. She couldn't stop them. They were too high up. Her body tensed until she could no longer see the white speck in the dark sky. Then her shoulders sank. "What the hell just happened…?" she murmured. Knowing full well what had happened caused the kunoichi to frown. Sighing, she reached up and held her shoulder. Her arm and shoulder still hurt. Most likely, she would need medical attention. "Sasuke…!" Ignoring the dull pain for now, Mayu hastily made her way over to the paralyzed Uchiha. She dropped to her knees beside him. "Can you move?" she asked.

"Just my fingers." She was surprised that he could finally speak. "What happened?"

"I'll… I'll explain on the way," Mayu told him. "But… they all got away."

0-0

"… His appearance made me think that she had all this planned before she even reached the village."

Shoulders hunched, Mayu finished her oral report to the Hokage. She was sitting on a stool while the village's leader stood behind her, hand softly touching her shoulder blade. At the moment, the two females were in the middle of a hospital room—Naruto's room to be more specific. As the matter concerned him, this is where the kunoichi gave her report. She was being healed as well. From his place on the bed, Sasuke frowned, outwardly showing his displeasure with the whole affair. That foreigner had had them all fooled. Mere minutes before they had met with the Hokage, Hyuga Neji had been discovered in the same condition as himself in some alley. Upon further investigation, more incapacitated ninja were found, paralyzed, including the two whom had been assigned to watch her. They had been pushed in the hotel room's closet. An entire floor of ninja, assigned in guarding the Akatsuki member, had been taken out as well.

"I can't believe it," Naruto shook his head. He had surprisingly been silent during the report. "Even Sasuke got his ass handed to him." The Uchiha glared at him, but the blond ninja only snickered and pointed a finger. If his right arm hadn't been in a cast, due to the jutsu he had used on Kakuzu, Sasuke would have attacked him.

"Knock it off, Naruto!" Mayu chided. The injured shinobi flinched. "With your open way of attacking, she would have taken you out quickly. You would have underestimated her just like Sasuke did." She shut her eyes. "We all were tricked." Sasuke turned his gaze back to his female teammate. As she gave her report, her indifferent voice hadn't changed. However, her last sentence had been filled with suppressed emotion. What could she have been feeling? The Uchiha narrowed his eyes. "Anyway, like I said, she told me that 'Two outta three ain't bad.' I can't shake the feeling that she actually accomplished two other things. The unsuccessful thing was more likely Naruto not being captured, so then what else did she come here to do?"

"Files were taken," Tsunade replied. All three genin sharply looked towards their leader, disbelief evident in their eyes. "Two files, actually."

"Why do you seem so calm about this?" Mayu questioned. "That girl is affiliated with Akatsuki! The village's important docu-"

"That's just it," the leader cut in. "The files that were taken weren't _that_ important. They were copies of what Mayu found in Orochimaru's lab—Uchiha Sasuke's medical history while he was spying for the Leaf."

"_That explains how she knew about the enhancing drugs,"_ Sasuke thought. "And the other file…?" he asked out loud.

"The other file isn't really a file. It was a list composed of ninja that I was going to assign a special mission to," Tsunade stated. "This task force was meant to search the Land of Fire for Akatsuki members and bring them in if they could. If not, they were meant to eliminate. The list had nothing but their photos and names, so their reasoning for wanting something like that is unclear."

"Who else knew about this list?" Mayu asked.

"No one other than myself and Shizune. I hadn't assigned the mission yet, after all."

"Then how did she know about it?" Naruto scratched his head in confusion.

"As there isn't a clear intention, I've decided to disband the squad for now. It won't do us any good if Akatsuki knows who to watch out for," Tsunade said as she removed her hand from Mayu's back. "For now, you two just focus on recuperating. This team won't be doing any missions for at least a week. Your nerves were severely damaged, Mayu. I'm surprised you were able to carry your teammate here. It will take some time before they become fully operational again, so take it easy in these next couple of days." The kunoichi nodded her head, but Sasuke could tell it was begrudgingly. "I'll check in on you in the morning." The woman left then, most likely to mobilize her other subordinates.

Seconds went by, and then Mayu stood from the stool. Muttering 'bed' under her breath, she moved past them towards the bed next to the window. It was right beside Naruto's, separated by a curtain. The blond ninja blinked, and then turned questioning eyes towards Sasuke. However, the Uchiha was just as lost. After all, this wasn't normal Mayu behavior. Furrowing his brow, he followed after the kunoichi, motioning for Naruto to go to sleep, to which the blond replied with his middle finger. Mayu sat on the edge of her bed, facing the window. But her chin was tilted downward. "Hey." He sat down next to her. She didn't verbally respond to him, but the slight turn of her head in his direction indicated that she acknowledged his presence. "Are you going to do this again?"

"… Do what again?" came her hesitant question.

"Close yourself off when something's bothering you."

A humorless chuckle came from her mouth. "Yeah, Ishikari Sheena would scold me about that, too." Against her thighs, her fists clenched. Mayu grimaced and averted her stare. Sasuke recognized the foreign name. As a child, he had had trouble pronouncing it. "It's just…" she trailed. "She tried to kill me." He hadn't understood why that had caused her to behave this way. She was a ninja. Every mission, she knew that her life might be on the line. Sasuke chose to remain silent, waiting for her to explain. "Out of all the people she paralyzed, I was the _only one_ she fought and tried to kill. I think her… condition had something to do with the way she processed things. But that fact doesn't stop me from feeling angry and confused… and hurt." She shut her eyes and frowned.

"Did something happen between you two?" Sasuke inquired. She slowly revealed her eyes and bit her lower lip.

"She said we were friends. She said we were _best_ friends, and I _believed_ her," Mayu explained. "We had so much in common. In this entire world, she is the only one who shares and understands the knowledge I have. She's the only one who… who's just like me. I thought I had finally found a-" A choked sob cut her off. It was at that moment that Sasuke realized that the kunoichi had been trying to hold back tears. Now, she could no longer do that. The liquid fell from her eyes, splashing against her knuckles. His eyes widened. He had only seen Mayu cry once. Like before, she had cried because she thought she lost a friend. And like before, it torn at his insides to see. "But she tricked me, probably so she'd have an advantage, knowing I wouldn't fight with everything I had against her. And now she's my _enemy_. One day, our paths will cross again, and I will have to _kill_ her. I can't-" Her head lowered. "I just can't accept it. Yasmine, she-" In hindsight, it hadn't been the smartest thing he had ever done. In the end, though, it was well worth it.

He had kissed her.

His hand had touched her cheek and turned her face towards him. Mayu had let out a squeak of surprise when his lips brushed against hers. It was a short kiss, which spread tingling warmth throughout his body, yet it had done the trick. Her tears stopped flowing. Sasuke reared back, thumb wiping the wetness from her right cheek. With a stunned expression, she stared back at him. The Uchiha leaned towards her again, dropping his arm. He moved to kiss her again—just because—but her hand shot up, fingers and thumb pressing against his cheeks. She didn't need to speak in order to convey that she wanted to know why he had done such a thing and that if a proper answer wasn't given, he might end up in a world of pain. "As my precious person, I don't like seeing your tears," he told her. Her eyes expanded in realization.

"Oh," Mayu's grip loosened before her hand dropped. Her upper body moved away from him, causing Sasuke to frown. "Thanks…" She wiped the rest of her tears away. "Crying like this—I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. You lost someone you viewed as a friend. It's a normal reaction," Sasuke stated. A faded image of a dark-skinned Hinata entered his mind. It was the memory of Mayu crying. "You act tough, but you're actually sensitive when it comes to your friends."

"Yeah." She turned to face him again. Then she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. "Thank you, Sasuke." The Uchiha blinked. As stated before, her physical affection had always baffled him. Mayu was the only one he knew that would hug or kiss someone she liked in public. Puzzling as it was, he wasn't going to push her affections away. Hell, he was definitely going to embrace them. Letting a small smile cross his face, Sasuke returned the hug.

"Oh, get a room, you two!" Naruto admonished from the other side of the curtain.

0-0

Mayu hadn't been the only one astounded by the news of the foreign idol's affiliation. The village's leader had just informed him about Yasmine after she had made the paralysis in his body disappear. His former friend had been working with Akatsuki the entire time. Hyuga Neji had kept his neutral expression only until Tsunade left the room. Once she was gone, he shook his head in disbelief. He lowered his gaze to his hands. Her previous words echoed in his head. _The past does not matter to me anymore… because I've already chosen my future_, she had said. Now he understood. He now realized that she had chosen a dark path. She truly believed that there was no way to diverge from that path. Ultimately, her association with the band of criminals had been the reason for her hesitance to rekindle their friendship.

A sense of guilt fell over him. Neji did not know how Yasmine came to know of Akatsuki or why she had chosen that way of life, but he did know that she wouldn't have chosen such a life if he had not pushed her away. Despite the years, he still blamed himself somewhat for her disappearance. She hadn't warranted the harsh words he had spoken. Neji shook his head. He couldn't let this be. He wouldn't. Yasmine needed him, now more than ever. He would save her. Even though he had forgotten at one point, he couldn't let go of the fact that she had been his best friend—that he had cared for her. _"Father…"_ He looked up, staring at the ceiling of the hospital room. He had lost his parents. He refused to lose her as well. _"I promise I will return her to this place."_ And he realized where he must start.

Sawatari Jano.

0-0

"Well done."

Yasmine had to stop herself from smiling widely at being praised. Instead, she stared expectedly at the aloof man. She could now tell that the twitching of his left eyebrow was his way of rolling his eyes. Deciphering his cool demeanor had gotten relatively easy in the time she had known him. Conceding to her silent demand, he lifted his arm. His hand patted her head twice before returning to his side. He turned to go, but she called out to him. "Itachi-sama…!" He halted. "Why did you want Sasuke's information? Well, that type of information isn't really a big deal. It's kinda strange."

"… Why is it that you wanted that list of ninja?"

"…" Yasmine pursed her lips. "_That_ is a secret."

"Then you should also respect my decision to not tell you."

"Very well, Itachi-sama."

The older Uchiha left the room. As far as Leader was concerned, her mission had ended in failure. Good thing it hadn't been the only thing she set out to accomplish or she would have felt like a failure as well. True, Naruto had not been captured, Hidan had lost his legs, and Kakuzu had perished, but she had succeeded with Itachi's assignment and her own. The foreigner smiled as she sat down on the floor. She pulled a folder from under her shirt. Inside the folder were pages with names and photos. Flipping through the papers, she saw names that she recognized, but she had been looking for one name in particular. Sarutobi Asuma. She breathed out a sigh as she came to a stop on his page. Since she had been a young child, she had always felt a certain admiration for the smoker. He had reminded her greatly of her father, not in looks but in personality. That had been one of the reasons she had decided to go against Kishimoto's grand design. Because a child needed their father figure. She had succeeded in saving Asuma's life. Her reasons, however selfish, weren't wrong. And that is what she told herself to help her sleep.

Unfortunately, she wouldn't realize the grave error of her decision until it was too late.

0-0

I've come to the realization that describing fights... isn't my thing.

Anyway, I may not have mentioned this before, but Yasmine is not a main character as she was in the original 'Our Lives in the Hurricane Chronicles.' She'll appear again, but she's definitely not a main character this time around. This Yasmine is a bit different from _that_ Yasmine because she's based on the Yasmine in 'Team 7: Revolution!' I tweaked her character a bit so that she's become Mayu's foil. Both girls virtually came from the same world, but one turned out 'good' while the other one is 'evil.' Hanging around mentally unstable individuals, I think, would cause an already unstable person to become even more unstable. That's what I wanted to show in this arc.

Now that it's over, I can get back to _revising_. Cheer loudly because that means faster updates. _Whoo_!


	22. Blood

It felt serene. Normally, the feeling of falling struck horror in her heart. However, surrounded by a void of dark blue, white wisps, and the gentle wind against her skin, it was actually nice. Mayu suddenly gasped. She could now hear her heartbeat. Her body moved so that she no longer descended head first. Rather, her body now floated down. Her knees softly hit a hard surface. She blinked once, and then looked around. Nothing was different. But she did notice her attire. She had never worn a kimono before. It felt almost strange on her body. Light blue was the color with a darker shade of blue floral pattern near the hem. The sash around her was a vibrant red color. "Where am I?" Her thoughts echoed. Wait. That had been familiar. Thoughts weren't a secret—she had experienced that previously. However, she couldn't quite place _where_ it had happened.

"You can hear me, right?" Mayu turned her head. The new voice seemed to come from all around her. "So you can."

"But I can't see you."

"That's because your eyes haven't been completely opened yet," he returned. Before his meaning could be questioned, a beam of white light shot towards her. Mayu could only gap as the beam overwhelmed her. Her brain felt as though it was bouncing around in her skull. Grimacing, she rubbed her forehead with the palm of her hand and squeezed her eyes shut. Once the ache subsided, she opened her eyes again. She was mildly confused by the change in scenery. Despite the sudden happenings, Mayu still felt as calm as she had when she had been falling. She didn't even feel annoyed by not knowing what was going on. Standing, she noted the tatami floors. Alone, she stood in a traditional room. "You're more beautiful than I thought you'd be in that." The voice came again. Male, yet not as deep as a full grown man. Arms encircled her from behind. Having not had sensed him, she clenched her teeth. "Mayu," his voice whispered in her ear. His touch was familiar to her. Unfortunately, she couldn't bring herself to turn to face him. She had felt oddly motionless. Even her eyes wouldn't-

"_Aw_—what?!" An exasperated huff came from her mouth before she could stop it. This seemed to only amuse her mysterious visitor for he snickered. "I thought you said last time was the _last time_!"

"Yes, well, I didn't think you'd be so slow at trying to figure out who I am."

"Oh, you motherfu-" The girl was suddenly turned in his arms. Before she knew it, his lips were pressed against hers. Softly. Lovingly. His hands slid down, cupping her behind and pressing her firmly against his body. At her sides, her fists uncurled. This felt wrong. He reared back only to kiss down her neck. This felt so right. Smiling against her skin, he pulled her down, and then pushed her back against the floor. His hands gripped the collar and slowly pulled the material from her shoulder. A closed mouth moan sounded when his lips came into contact with a rather sensitive part of her skin above her breast. "_Ahh_!" His warm wet tongue slid against her skin.

"Let me indulge myself for the time being." His leg moved in between hers. "Until I can do this for real." His mouth was on hers again. This time, he had slipped in his tongue. It was petrifying. It was invigorating. It was intoxicating. It was… too much. So she pushed him again. He grunted, probably annoyed. "You can't resist this forever, Mayu." The way her name was spoken caused a chill to run up her spine. "So open your eyes already."

Mayu did open her eyes. However, she was no longer in a dream. She stared up at her ceiling, panting heavily. The sweat had been enough to dampen her hair. Finally, after a few moments, her breathing evened out. Still, she didn't move. After holding her breath for a few seconds, she released a sigh. "… The _hell_?" Mayu sat up, knees raised. "What was that?" Though she questioned it, she knew exactly what it was. A dream brought on by her developing hormones—her surrogate mother had explained _changes_ to her sometime after her fourteenth birthday. The kunoichi figured these changes were beginning to happen. _"Whose mind was that, though? His? Mine?"_ She let out another heavy sigh. _"How can I have these types of dreams about someone who is a complete mystery to me? It'd make more sense if the target of these types of dreams was somebody I actually know!"_ Removing the covers from her body, Mayu decided that she would take a shower. She yawned, and then glanced at the open window. The sun was shining brightly. Should it have been so bright this early? The girl yawned again, and then froze. A startled look came over her face as she looked back at the window again.

Monkey nuts—she was late!

0-0

Late, so utterly late.

With her hands behind her back, Mayu had averted her gaze to a rather interesting ant hill to the right on her blond teammate. All of her teammates had been waiting at the front gate for her arrival. Apparently, it had been twenty two minutes, according to Sai. Naruto had teasingly asked if she was turning into Kakashi. Speaking of the copycat ninja, he had already been assigned a solo mission whilst Naruto was still in the hospital. This would be the team's—minus Kakashi—first mission since he fully recovered. And she had been late to the mission's briefing. Hell, she had missed the briefing entirely. Tsunade had to tell her that her team was already waiting, and then she had scolded her on her tardiness. How embarrassing. She hadn't felt this way since the last time she had been hit in the forehead with chalk, courtesy of Kamijou-sensei. The Hokage then said something weird, though. _Despite the details of this mission, it is still a mission… Do not let your emotions get the better of you_, she had ordered. She hadn't explained these details to her, only told her that her team would inform her of the mission.

"_Oi_…! I already apologized. Let it go!" Mayu demanded, which caused Naruto's teasing to cease. He still had a playful grin on his face, though. That silly expression on the blonde's face was enough to cause her irritation to falter. Uzumaki Naruto—he was good at getting on someone's good side. Her eyes slid over to Sasuke. He had not turned to greet her upon her arrival, or give a snarky comment. In the little time she had known him—without her memories, mind you—Mayu realized that he was prone to irritation, though he rarely showed it outwardly. However, if he was comfortable enough with the people whom surrounded him, then he would let them know of his irritation with their antics. He was _shy_. When she had discovered such a fact, Mayu almost couldn't keep the giggles to herself. Uchiha Sasuke being shy seemed to be as outlandish as Hyuga Hinata dominating Naruto. Then again… that could happen one day.

The point was Sasuke would have commented on her tardiness, yet he hadn't. He also would have greeted her. Now that she thought about it, his behavior seemed strange to her. Perhaps something heavy was on his mind at the moment. Mayu looked over at Sai. He had been the one to tell her how late she had been, but his eyes hadn't strayed from the book in his hand. First Impressions was the title. As of late, the pale ninja had been reading books on sociology, wanting to become better in his interactions with others. It wasn't strange to find him passing time by reading things pertaining to society. He had a long way to go, after all. Just last week, he had referred to Tenten as 'Hot Buns' as a nickname. Mayu had to explain to him that the term of endearment could be considered sexual harassment. The older kunoichi, though, didn't seem to mind… after she tried to impale Sai with shuriken, of course.

"We've got a retrieval mission! Granny said that you will be the team leader," Naruto announced loudly, most likely in an effort to get rid of the silence. "We're going back to the Land of Waves."

"Back to…?" Mayu repeated. She tapped her cheek before scratching it. "I was there for that mission, right? As Sakura?" She knew it, but those memories were foggy… like a dream. Ultimately, she wouldn't clearly remember what had happened while she went by the name Haruno Sakura. It was disheartening, but there was nothing she could do about it. Unlike her other memories, those times in her life hadn't been locked away due to a jutsu. They had only faded with time. After all, she had only thought it was a vivid dream of childhood.

"Yup!" Naruto crossed his arms, appearing pensive. "Only Sasuke knew about you then."

"_Sasuke…?"_ Again, her gaze drifted to the silent Uchiha. She hadn't really made a point in asking him, or anyone for that matter besides Hinata, about her adventures as Sakura. Since he knew of her back then, maybe he could jog her memory of that time. Until then, personal matters should be pushed behind. Right now, she had to focus on her mission. "So then we have to retrieve something?" Mayu inquired, switching her attention back to Naruto.

"Not something exactly." His turned had suddenly turned serious. "Someone. Granny said this guy is a missing ninja of the Leaf. He was seen in the Land of Waves just yesterday."

"Isn't finding missing ninja assigned to special ninja?"

"The Hokage stated that this man has been tracking Akatsuki for years," Sasuke finally spoke up. "He has discovered numerous bases of theirs. Since her original plan for sending out a task force to find members of the organization is on hold for awhile, she assigned us this mission to bring him in. Also…" He turned, dark eyes honing in her eye. Mayu felt her body tense at such an extreme stare. "The personal connection is the reason why this team is assigned this mission."

"Akatsuki could be looking for him, too," Naruto pointed out. "We have to find him first."

"Who is it?" Mayu questioned. A missing ninja of the Leaf…? With a personal connection…? Since it was related to Akatsuki, perhaps Sasuke meant himself. His brother was a part of that organization, right? Then there was… The kunoichi bit her lower lip as an image of the foreigner crossed her mind. Only Sasuke—and to an extent, Naruto—knew how she felt about that girl. Tsunade couldn't have possibly known, though.

"He is-"

"Your uncle," Sai felt no shame in interrupting. His book snapped close. He smiled lightly in Mayu's direction. "Ishikari Morino is the man we are looking for. Could this be a rare chance to meet my friend's relative?"

Mayu didn't answer him. She was in a state of shock—perhaps slight panic. This whole time, she hadn't thought of her last next of kin. She had forgotten that there was still someone out there that shared her name, her past, her blood. "Uncle Mori… is a missing ninja?" She shook her head a bit. "How? Why?"

"He returned to the village and learned of his clan's fate," Sai explained. "Without a word, he left and hasn't been back since."

"_So then… he's looking for revenge against Itachi,"_ Mayu thought. _"He most likely thinks I'm dead as well."_ The kunoichi cleared her throat, gaining her teammates' full attention. "So what are we waiting for?" she asked. Placing a hand on her hip, she smirked. "Let's plan a family reunion."

0-0

The Land of Waves had been a relatively poor nation, and as a result, does not have a hidden village. There aren't many ninja here, and those ninja who do live here do not use their abilities often. It was an isolated island, but used to be prosperous nonetheless, that is until Gato had set his sights on it. He had crushed the people's will and monopolized the import/export trade, which was vital for the economy. Team 7's first genuine mission had happened in this small nation, and with the help of Momochi Zabuza and Haku, Gato's reign had been ended for good. Mayu knew the important points of the canon world. She had known what had happened. The small details weren't clear to her, but basically she knew the cause and effect of what happened. However, she just couldn't bring herself to agree with what she was currently seeing. Naruto's smug expression wasn't helping either.

"This is totally unfair!" Mayu shouted. Her finger was pointed, in a dramatic way, at the completed bridge, which connected the small island to the mainland. The name it had been given was The_ Great Naruto Bridge_. It had taken the team about half a day to get here, and the name of the bridge had greeted them. "Weren't we there, too?! I don't remember, but I'm absolutely positive that I wouldn't have just _stood_ there! Why is Naruto's name the only one up there?!"

"Maybe I'm just that awesome?" The blond laughed loudly, missing the glare being directed his way by his kunoichi teammate. Sasuke merely rolled his eyes.

"Naruto-kun…!" An almost excited voice distracted the team of four. Fortunately, the voice caused Mayu to stop thinking of backhanding her obnoxious teammate. Eyes trained on the bridge, the group saw a person running towards them, arm stretched up and waving. With long black hair, pale skin, dark brown eyes, and a slender frame, it was hard to distinguish whether or not the person was a male or female. It was only when the person stopped in front of them did most of them figure out the gender. Male. He seemed to be in the team's age group as well. "It's good to see you again." He smiled at the blond before looking Sasuke's way. "You as well, Sasuke-san."

"_Ah_," the Uchiha replied, nodding his head in acknowledgement. "So you've returned here?"

"_Mm_," the male agreed. The rest of the team looked on in confusion. Then an enlightened look crossed Naruto's face. He pointed a finger.

"Haku?!" he exclaimed.

"Haku?!" Mayu sounded way more surprised. And with good reason. If this was the same Haku from _Naruto_, then shouldn't he be buried? The end result of the conflict in the Land of Waves had been the deaths of both Zabuza and Haku. She knew this for sure. Kakashi had dealt the finishing blow to Haku while Zabuza had died of blood loss due to injuries brought upon him by Gato's henchmen. _"Could my being there, as Sakura, changed their fates?" _she thought. _"Still… he hasn't changed a bit."_ Haku hadn't grown into his masculine features quite yet.

"_Whoa_! Haku, I can't believe you came back here!" Naruto blinked, and then grinned. "How did you know we were coming?"

"I received the message from your village two days ago," Haku explained. "I will be housing you for your mission. It is my favor to you for that day on the bridge." He turned to Sai and Mayu and politely bowed. "Excuse me for not introducing myself properly. My name is Momochi Haku. It is a pleasure to meet you." The two bowed in return.

"Please take care of us," Mayu replied. "I am Ishikari Mayu. I am the acting team leader for this mission."

"I am called Sai."

"Please, follow me," Haku requested. "I have already prepared your rooms." The team nodded, and then proceeded to follow the androgynous young man. As she walked, Mayu couldn't help but take in her surroundings. This was familiar to her. In the back of her mind, this was all familiar to her. She was vaguely aware of the déjà vu she had experienced, walking on this completed bridge. Her gaze lowered to the ground in front of her. She had dreamt of this place on several occasions in that world as well as this one. The dreams had stopped soon after she had reunited with Hyuga Hinata. She supposed that those dreams were her last moments as the pink-haired kunoichi of Team 7. She sighed inaudibly as to not alert her teammates of her pondering state. She didn't want them to worry about her over trivial things.

The group of five arrived at Haku's home. It was a small place, but Haku assured them it was bigger on the inside. "How is this to be arranged? I only have two free rooms for you," he announced once he entered his home. Turning he faced the ninja, whom were in the process of removing their shoes. "Two and two? Or perhaps three and one?"

"It should be-"

"I call Sai-chan!" Mayu interrupted Sasuke. She hooked her arm around the pale ninja's, ignoring the perplexed look from her teammate. He shrugged, though, and nodded. The Uchiha looked far from pleased. He had wanted to room with Mayu. "Thanks again, Haku-san, for doing this for our team." She smiled, not knowing the sour mood she had put Sasuke in. "I would like to get started now. Is there any place we can set up?"

"Yes, of course," Haku answered. He gestured further into his house. "You can discuss your mission behind the first door. The stairs leading to your rooms are right next to the door, so you should have no trouble finding them. I will prepare tea for my visitors." With that being said, the young man walked away, heading towards the kitchen. The team hurriedly moved into the door. There, they found a square table. Each member had taken each side. After getting a bit comfortable, Sai removed his backpack and pulled out a rolled up map. He spread it out across the table so that his teammates could get a good look at it. It was a map of the entire island. The pale ninja had apparently picked it up at the entrance to the bridge while Naruto and Mayu had been bickering.

"Great! I hadn't thought of a map," Naruto said. "So what's the plan?" His eyes naturally drifted to the kunoichi of the team. "Do we split up and search the entire island?"

"This island _is_ pretty small," Mayu remarked. "But I don't really want to waste time for searching the whole island. Besides, I don't want us splitting with this much distance to cover. My uncle is not to be taken lightly."

"Well, neither are we!"

"I'd rather not take the chance, Naruto," Mayu muttered.

"Tsunade-sama stated that he has found and destroyed Akatsuki bases all over," Sai reported. "However, he hasn't managed to kill anyone in his… rampages. I do not believe that your uncle knows of Akatsuki's true strength. It could get dangerous if he's doing this by himself."

"What about his behavior towards the Leaf village?" Mayu questioned. "I'm sure people have been assigned to track him down in the past."

"Yes," Sasuke stated. "He avoids fighting until he has no other choice. Even then, he never kills. Afterwards, he disappears without a trace."

"Well, if he no longer cared for his home, he would have disposed of his trackers," the kunoichi mumbled. "He has no intention of returning home until he finishes his task. He's stubborn like that."

"Must run in the family," Naruto snickered.

"_Oi_! Determination and stubbornness are two different things!"

"It just so happens that you're on the stubborn side."

"Shut up, Naruto!" She sharply turned away from the grinning blond and instead glared at the table. "Anyway, I wonder what his motivation for coming here is. I'm guessing he's keeping a low profile and just resting here." Mayu sighed. "If only there was a big event where everyone in the village had to attend, it'd be easier. I'd much rather find a needle in a haystack than a certain ant in a colony."

"Actually, a needle in a haystack would be easier to find as it would stand out from the hay."

"I don't need your comments, Sai-chan." She faced the person who had yet to give an opinion on the dilemma. "Sasuke, what do you think?" She didn't get an answer. "Sasuke…?"

Truthfully, the Uchiha had been thinking quite a bit about Ishikari Morino. Ever since he heard the name from the Hokage, he had been thinking of the time he and Mayu had happened upon the Ishikari residence when they were younger. Before his leader had stated the relation of his teammate and the man they were supposed to bring back, he had known that the man was the sister of Mayu's mother. He had nearly forgotten about the man before that. There were things he wanted to know. Originally, he had believed that Ishikari Morino had helped his brother eradicate the Uchiha. Only recently had that theory been proven wrong. Still, this man knew Itachi. He must have had information on his brother—vital information that might help in battle. Not only that, but this guy was Mayu's last living relative. He definitely needed to make a good first impression. He may or may not have had a daydream about asking for his niece's hand already.

"SASUKE!" Naruto's overly loud voice finally snapped him out of said daydream. The Uchiha flinched before fixing a glare on the blond shinobi. "You're freaking us out!" Sasuke coughed lightly, noticing three—no, four pairs of eyes on him. Haku had entered the room at some point, carrying a tray of drinks. The feminine male blinked slowly. "Are you okay? You were making a face like-" Naruto proceeded to try to imitate Sasuke's facial expression when he had been daydreaming, but that couldn't be right. Naruto looked as though he was experiencing irritable bowels, but had just discovered the secret to why ramen tasted so good.

"No, no—it _was_ that bad," Mayu told him as if she had read his thoughts. "Something you want to tell us?"

"No. It's nothing." He quickly slid his tongue over his front teeth.

"Freak," Naruto muttered.

"Shut up."

"Excuse me," Haku said after clearing his throat. He began to pass out the cups. For that, Sasuke was grateful. "I couldn't help but overhear. I believe I should let you know a bit of information." The older teenager sat down next to Naruto once he finished handing out the tea. He held the serving tray close to his body. "As it turns out, there is a social gathering. The whole village will be in attendance."

"Really…? How convenient," Mayu commented.

"Yes. Every year, the villagers celebrate the end of Gato's supremacy. Every person in the village will be there. Besides the children, who have their own little festival, the adults hold a party in Gato's former home."

"Isn't that a little harsh? That's like dancing on his grave or something."

"The villagers _really_ hated him."

"_Ah_—seems legit," Mayu shrugged, accepting the answer. "This is actually good news. Uncle Mori will have no choice but to attend even if he doesn't want to. It'd be so much easier to find him at a party."

"Awesome! We've got this mission in the bag!" Naruto exclaimed. "All we have to do is find him. Mayu can talk to him, since they're related, and we won't even have to fight!" He crossed his arms. "That seems boring, though…" Haku smiled. He stood up, drawing attention.

"Naruto-kun, would you like to help me with something?"

"What is it?"

"Something that won't be so boring, of course."

"Like what?" Mayu raised a curious brow.

"Oh… just gathering formal wear. The party is a formal one, after all."

"That sounds just as boring," Naruto complained. "What's so good about dress clothes?"

"I'll _show_ you when we _get_ there."

"Okay, okay."

Suspicious eyes watched Haku and Naruto leave the room.

0-0

A lone figure stood at the entrance of the _Great Naruto Bridge_. He stared at the name of the bridge for a moment. He could have sworn he heard that name somewhere before… The man grunted, and then shrugged. It didn't matter. It was just a stupid bridge. The man began the long walk across the bridge. He noticed that there were no guards or anything like that. Perhaps the reason was because this small place wasn't worth sneaking into. The man smirked as he continued to walk. "After I'm finished with this mission, they'll definitely tighten up security around here."

_You don't have to blow up the entire area. Just kill him and then leave. Do not cause a commotion._

"Sorry, that wouldn't be much fun… _un_…" the man said.

The smirk grew.

0-0

Closing his eyes, Sasuke let the wind play with his hair. He leaned back, pressing his back against the bark of the tree he was currently sitting in. The ominous feeling had left this place since the last time he had been here. It was rather… quaint, this place. Perhaps Ishikari Morino felt the same. Stopping here felt like leaving the troubles of the world at the entrance to the bridge. _"Ishikari Morino… it appears that we're a bit of the same," _he thought. The wind shifted. Sasuke slowly opened his eyes. Though he didn't show it, he had been quite surprised to find Mayu in front of him on her hands and knees. Her grin faltered somewhat at being discovered, but she still had a smug-like aura surrounding her as she sat on her bottom, legs dangling over the sides of the branch. "Do you enjoy doing that?" Sasuke questioned, averting his gaze to the body of water in the distance.

"Believe me, it's much more fun doing it to Naruto," Mayu admitted. "He screams like a little _bitch_." Had he dreamed of this before? Sasuke was sure this girl had said something similar to him in a dream. Then again, he knew her fairly well. It wouldn't be strange dream of these she could say. Chortling, the kunoichi scooted a bit closer to him. She rested a hand on his raised knee. This caused Sasuke to return his entire focus back to her. He swallowed the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. Mayu's physical contact was always welcomed, yet nerve-racking at the same time. "Anyway, if its relaxation you wanted, then you could come back to the house. Naruto and Haku-san are still gone. Sai decided to draw something somewhere, so you don't have to be outside."

"Just because you're afraid of bee attacks doesn't mean I am," Sasuke responded, failing to suppress his smirk. Mayu clicked her tongue, dropping her hand from his knee. Looking partly annoyed, she moved to jump from the tree. She got as far as swinging her leg over the branch near the other one before Sasuke caught her right forearm. "Calm down. You don't have to leave… I'll save you from any bee attacks."

"You're _effin_' hilarious," Mayu retorted. She didn't try to leave again, though, prompting Sasuke to release her. She shifted her gaze to the forest floor below. "So it looks like you're being all nostalgic by yourself up here. I wanna do it, too." The Uchiha raised a brow and stated that she couldn't even remember. "Well, I _want_ to. Naruto told me that you're the only one who knew _me_ back then. And since I followed you-" She decided to ignore his incredulous 'you're stalking me?!' and continued. "-I've had this weird déjà vu feeling."

"Honestly, I found out only days before you left," Sasuke corrected.

"And here I thought you were smart."

"Funny. I was thinking the same thing."

"Huh? What's that supposed to—_gah_!" He had unceremoniously shoved her, causing her to fall over the edge. "Oh, you _piece of crap_!" Sasuke stood up, and then hopped down beside his teammate. She had landed on her feet and hands. Glaring up at him didn't make him feel any less guilty about pushing her for her insolence.

"Now that you've mentioned it," Sasuke began, taking in his surroundings. "This is the place… where we first bonded." His statement brought Mayu back from her anger-induced ranting. She stood up, blinked, and then mouthed 'we first bonded?' He found himself nodding. "Though I still didn't know your true identity, I felt a connection towards you here. You showed your tears in front of me, and then you admitted to wanting someone dead. You were the first person I had met that felt something akin to what I had felt and so I opened up to you about my family. You were also the only person who didn't say or think my revenge was _wrong_. You said that revenge could be necessary, but it shouldn't consume a person." Finally, he turned to Mayu. She was giving him such a look of amazement that he felt unnerved by it. "What?"

"I… _cried_ in front of you? Why?"

"I overpowered you… You didn't like the thought of being weak."

"Oh… wow…" And then she laughed. Sasuke could only stare in confusion. One moment she appeared baffled, and then she looks as though she couldn't stop herself from guffawing. "I was such a _brat_!" Her laughter subsided to mere giggles. She reached out, lightly touching his cheek. "But I'm glad things turned out this way due to my former self." Without any sort of explanation, Mayu dropped her arm and turned her back to him. _"I can't believe it…"_ she thought.

Judging from Sasuke's account of what happened, he had 'defeated' her so easily. At that age, Mayu had to admit that she had been just as prideful as Sasuke. Her pride had been ruined, and so she had cried, most likely blurting out things about Orochimaru. What could she say? She hadn't been a fan of the snake bastard. She had probably ranted about Sasuke _to_ Sasuke. Knowing that, Mayu couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. Such a childish mentality she had. The kunoichi snorted. Then again, it did help her bond with the normally aloof Uchiha. In this way, Sasuke's mentality had somewhat changed at a crucial time. Because of her. Selfish as it sounded, it made her _happy_.

"_Oi_…" His voice seemed to always bring her out of her thoughts. "To make you remember, I want to bring up our memories more often. The trigger word lies in the past."

"I agree, but-" Mayu faced him. "-let's not force my memories to appear while we are on an important mission. The last time it happened, our enemy was Akatsuki. I do not want that to happen again. Others won't be as polite as your brother."

"Polite? _Him_?" He actually scoffed and crossed his arms.

"Well, he did stand idly by whilst my memories returned. How sweet of him," she remarked while grinning. She grinned because the agitation was slowly creeping on her teammate's face. Admittedly, she liked to see him riled up. When his veins bulged like that, it was… _Mmmm_. Generally, his expression was so damn neutral that she couldn't _help_ but to try to cause a crack in his expressionless mask. It was though the gods themselves had requested that she break his detached nature.

"There's _nothing_ sweet about him."

"Except his _sweet_ ass."

"Except his sweet a-" He stopped, red-faced, realizing what he was just about to repeat. "_Mayu_!" The kunoichi only chuckled, nudging him with her elbow. She told him to stop being such a hard ass and laugh at her awesome joke. "It wasn't awesome. It was stupid." Mayu only stuck out her tongue in response.

0-0

A party is defined as a social gathering. It is for celebration or recreation. It can have religious, cultural, or seasonal insinuations. There are various types of parties. Traditional parties are social gatherings within a fairly formal atmosphere. Celebrating an event or an occurrence is considered to be a traditional party. Sai looked up from his book. His dark eyes scanned the inhabitants of the large room. All of the people were dancing, laughing, or smiling. Sai's eyes looked down at the page. _"Various types of parties…"_ he thought. He flipped the page. On the next page, it listed several types of parties. His eyes widen in fascination. Who knew there were so many categories? "Everyone…" Sai whispered into his wireless radio; it was concealed from the naked eye by a genjutsu. "Did you know that there were several varieties of social gatherings?" he asked, eyes still reading. "They don't exactly go into detail about what happens at these different types, but—what's a sex party?"

A snort, giggle, and embarrassed cough came into his ears.

"Sai…! This is no time to be asking such things!" Naruto's embarrassed voice almost hissed. "You're supposed to be looking for Uncle Mori!"

"My apologies…" Sai replied. He closed his book and tucked it under his arm.

"Since when did he become _your_ uncle?" Sasuke's voice asked.

"… Sh-Shut up, Sasuke…!"

"Now, now, children…" Mayu's voice sounded as if she was scolding younger people. "We've got a mission to carry out. You can argue later. Anyway, Naruto, any luck in the bathrooms?"

"Nope… He hasn't come in yet," Naruto answered.

"Sasuke…?"

"No, he's not—stop fucking with me!"

"What the hell was that?" Mayu's voice asked, sounding a bit ticked off.

"Some girls won't leave me alone," Sasuke answered. "Anyway, Sai, what about you…?"

"There's no sign of Ishikari-san," Sai answered. _"Are we what you call a dysfunctional family…?"_ he mused in thought.

"I don't see him in here, either…" Mayu muttered. "And it's been two hours since the party has started…"

"Maybe he didn't come…?" Naruto suggested.

"Haku would have told us by now," Sasuke stated.

"Alright, keep your eyes open and alert," Mayu said.

"Yes…!"

Sai focused his attention on the crowd around him again. Everyone was dressed in western styled clothing. Apparently, it was another form of celebrating the end of Gato's monopolizing over the imports. Sai, himself, was wearing a black tuxedo without the tie. Actually, the other two males of his team were wearing the same tuxedo. Of course there were variations. Naruto had a satin silver dress shirt underneath his black jacket with a matching tie; Sasuke had a white dress shirt, but he had no bow or tie. He had unfastened several of the buttons of his shirt, showing off his chest. He could have sworn he heard Mayu make a peculiar sound after noticing Sasuke's attire. '_Mmmm_,' she made that sound as he eyes glazed over. But it had been so quick, he had been sure neither Sasuke nor Naruto taken note of it.

Speaking of his teammate, Mayu had said 'Well, look who's bringing sexy back?' when she saw them together. He recalled Naruto chuckling and the slight blush on Sasuke's face when she had said that. Sai didn't understand why his male teammates reacted in that way, so he kept it in mind to ask them about it later. When Mayu had walked away to begin surveillance, Sai had heard Naruto whisper to Sasuke that Mayu was actually a little pretty. Sasuke replied by hitting Naruto on the head, saying 'She's my eye candy. Get your own.' Naruto had sputtered indignantly. Sai hadn't understood this.

It was Mayu, after all. She was only wearing different clothing. Sure, she had her hair styled in curls. Sure, she put on mascara and eyeliner to enhance the blue in her eyes. Sure, she had a simple, yet elegant, strapless, satin sky blue dress. And yes, maybe she did smell a little better than normal—okay, _a lot_ better, but… it was still Ishikari Mayu, complaining about how the clothes she wore were 'itchy as hell!' and how the 'damned shoes!' were 'killing' her.

Sai shrugged as he continued to glance around the room, occasionally waving to females who winked at him. It caused them to giggle and turn away, red faced, so Sai thought this action was okay. He thought back to his three teammates and mentally sighed. Would he ever understand them…? _"This weird dysfunctional family of mine…" _he thought.

Perhaps he should study relationships a little more…

0-0

Naruto adjusted the volume of his wireless radio, which was concealed by genjutsu, to a minimum. He sighed. Why exactly was he assigned bathroom watch was beyond him. Sai and Mayu had gotten the two rooms full of people. Sasuke had got the entrance of the huge building. And Haku, who decided to help with the mission, searched the village. The older male would be here soon; he would help Naruto with searching the upstairs of the building.

It was relatively quiet upstairs than downstairs, so it would be likely that the shy Ishikari Morino was up here somewhere. Naruto almost scoffed. It was a little hard to believe that anyone in the Ishikari family was _shy_, but that assumption was based off of Mayu. But nevertheless, he had to go on what Mayu told him, not what he thought. Naruto exited the bathroom, tightening his tie a little. He had checked about five bathrooms and there was still no sign of the target. And that's another thing… Why the hell was there so many bathrooms?! Judging from the information Haku had told them, there were still several other bathrooms to check! Luckily, the bathrooms were divided up for male and females. So really, those several bathrooms were cut in half.

"_But this is incredibly boring!" _Naruto thought with a heavy sigh. Then he grinned. He covered the wide grin with his fingers. That did little to suppress his snicker of glee. Haku had shown and told him something not so boring, though. The sooner the mission ended, the sooner he would have his entertainment. And maybe… just maybe… Sasuke wouldn't hit him for it. After all, this entertainment was for his best friend's benefit. Naruto and Haku were _so_ nice to do this, really. Saving those thoughts for later, the blond shinobi walked down the corridor, hands shoved in his pockets. The bathroom at the end of the hall was in his sights.

He had just been about to check the bathroom further down, but a noise caught his attention. Naruto shook his head and frowned. To his left, the sound came from behind a door. Before he knew it, his curiosity got the better of him. His hand gripped the doorknob. _"Maybe Uncle Mori's not in one of the bathrooms,"_ he thought. He turned the knob. _"Maybe he's just hiding out in a bedroom!"_ The blond shinobi forgot the fact that many of the rooms were off limits to the public and were locked. However, this door wasn't locked like the others. Slowly and carefully, Naruto opened the door.

What he saw made him pause. There was a person, standing near the window without a shirt. Naruto couldn't help the gasp that escaped his throat. Not only was the person disfigured. Honestly, it looked as though his discolored arms had been sewed on. But he had just walked in on a woman changing! He knew from experience that this was a terrible thing to be caught doing. His gasp alerted the woman with the long blond hair to flinch, and then turn. Naruto's brain screamed for him to move, runaway screaming apologize, but his body remained rooted to the spot. The woman stared for a moment before appearing miffed. Her blue eyes glared in his direction. "Do you _mind_?!" Faster than he had ever moved before, Naruto's hands shot up, covering his eyes and reddened cheeks.

"I didn't see anything!" he proclaimed. It was a lie. He saw everything. "But it shouldn't matter since you don't have much, right?!" When he was scared, _stupid_ things usually spewed from his mouth. He couldn't help it really. Past experiences, and the beatings that occurred because of it, had flashed through his mind in under a second. Most often, he had been on the receiving end of Sakura's fists. The woman narrowed her eyes further—a look of perplexity crossed her features.

"What the hell are you talking about? Hey, wait! I _know_ you!" she exclaimed. Naruto peeked by moving one of his fingers. The woman had not attempted to cover herself, so he hurriedly moved his finger back. "You're that—what the hell are you doing, _un_?!" An offended sputter erupted from the woman's mouth. "You think I'm a woman, _don't_ you?!"

"Y-You're _not_?!" Naruto's hands flew from his face. "You're not just a really flat-chest woman?"

"_FUCK_ YOU!" she screamed. But now that he had gotten a closer look, the blond woman did have a few masculine features. Shit. "But lucky me! I get to kill two birds with one stone, un." Wait a minute. That nasal grunt sounded slightly familiar to him. Then he got it. He pointed a finger.

"You're that male Ino!"

"I'm going to enjoy this far more than I should!" He lifted his hand, palm upturned, revealing the tongue.

… This was not going to end well.

0-0

Sasuke crossed his arms; his back rested against the wall of the building. _"This is so boring,"_ he thought. All of the villagers had filed into the giant mansion. Sasuke was mildly surprised that the place didn't burst because of being packed full of people. But then again, it was probably much bigger on the inside. The Uchiha hadn't been inside yet.

He would rather be inside, possibly dancing with Mayu. Sasuke didn't like to dance. It was a scientific fact that he couldn't no matter how hard he tried. Every time he did try, he would always think back to when his father walked in on him dancing… in his mother's clothes. The look that his father gave him was… traumatizing, to say the least. From that day forward, Uchiha Sasuke never did the dares his brother told him to do—oh, and he never danced again either.

Sasuke sighed. No one was arriving any longer, and yet he was still outside. It wasn't cold or anything. Actually, it was quite humid. Sasuke really wanted to take off his jacket, but he couldn't because of the concealed weapons he brought. Sure, this mission was important and all, but… "Damn it to hell!" he murmured. "It's hot!"

"You, too, huh…?" a deep voice caused Sasuke to look up. He hadn't heard the man come out. This fact made Sasuke narrow his dark eyes. He hadn't sensed his presence at all. It reminded him greatly of Mayu's ability. The stranger walked to the railing, and he rested his arms on it. His head looked up to the night sky. "I don't like crowded places either… especially if it's clammy like this."

"_He looks… slightly familiar…" _Sasuke thought, watching as the man lit up a cigarette. This man stood tall, looking to be over one-hundred and ninety centimeters. Brown skin, blue eyes, and spiky brown hair lead Sasuke to believe that this was the man the team had been looking for. Ishikari Morino. Mayu's uncle. The picture the Hokage had given them had been a few years old, but the resemblance had been too uncanny. There couldn't be many people walking around with these features. The man blew out toxic smoke. "You shouldn't smoke… It'll kill you," Sasuke muttered.

"… Kid…" the Uchiha was surprised that he actually responded. "This is one of the last pleasures I have left in this world." Sasuke narrowed his eyes, thinking that he should alert the rest of the team. However, he suddenly felt hesitant. The young Uchiha bit his lip before slowly walking towards the man. He stood next to him, turning his gaze upward.

"One of the few pleasures you have left, huh?" he murmured. "I used to think that way…"

"Oh really…?" the man said, sounding as though he didn't care either way.

"Yeah… That pleasure would have sent me down a path of destruction," Sasuke continued; he looked down at the ground below. "Most likely, there would be no turning for me."

"_Che_… I have no one left in this world," the man stated. "Who would care what I do now?"

"What if there was? Would you stop?" Sasuke asked. His dark eyes glanced in the man's direction. It was then he noticed the faint mustache under his nose. There was also a small mole near his left eye. "For a long time, I believe that I had no one else in this world. It's because I refused to let anyone else in. My pleasure would have ended up killing me and those who care about me."

The man frowned. He dropped his cigarette, and then stepped on it. "We're not talking about smoking, are we?" he asked.

"Revenge," Sasuke clarified.

"What's a kid like you know about that?"

"I know that it hurts."

"… Who the hell are you?"

"I was just like you a few years back," Sasuke continued, purposely not answering his question. "I used to believe that avenging my clan was everything. Constantly getting stronger to kill a man was all I ever thought about, that is… until I met her… She told me strength wasn't everything. Retribution doesn't have to consume you completely. There are always other things in this world. My mind is no longer on a one-way track." He finally faced the now glaring man. The older Ishikari took a step back.

"Are you Akatsuki or are you from the Leaf village?"

"What would you do if you did have someone you could hurt with your selfish desires?" Sasuke asked. "Would you stop?"

"Listen, kid, I asked a question! It's appropriate to answer your elders!"

Sasuke suppressed his smirk. Mayu had brought up age differences in their arguments in the past. So they weren't only similar in appearances, were they? "What if I told you that there was someone still alive from your deceased clan?" His eyes expanded. His mouth dropped open, but no words came out. Sasuke had left him speechless. "Would you continue this little mission of yours, or return back to the village, your home, and own up to your responsibilities as a ninja of the Leaf?"

"… Wh-Why—who is-" The sound of breaking glass interrupted him. Sasuke quickly turned to see his comrade jumping from a window, glass all around him. He saw him land on the ground with a thud. Luckily, the glass hadn't pierced his skin. The blond shinobi took off, away from the building. Seconds later an explosion was heard, causing Sasuke's attention to go back to the window Naruto had jumped through. Flames and smoke practically shot out of the room.

"Damn it, Naruto! What the hell did you just do?!" Sasuke nearly growled. Mostly, he was annoyed that his talk with Mayu's uncle had been interrupted.

"COME BACK HERE, SO I CAN KILL YOU, _UN_!" a male's voice shouted. Out of the fiery room came a man on a large clay bird. With long blond hair and fierce blue eyes, Sasuke couldn't say he recognized him. But why was he not wearing a shirt. The Uchiha sighed heavily. Something told him that the hard way was the only option. The clearly irate male made a throwing motion with his hand in the direction that Naruto had gone.

_**BOOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM**_

"What the hell is going on up there…?!" Mayu's voice came into Sasuke's ears.

"The people are panicking," Sai's voice also came into his ears. The Uchiha touched the small button on his radio, and then spoke.

"I just saw Naruto… being chased by a naked man," he answered. There was a long pause, and then laughter.

"Sasuke, stop playing…! What's really going on?" Mayu laughed out.

"I'm not joking, Mayu," Sasuke said, saying her name loudly. More explosions were heard. "Some guy, using a clay bird and explosives went after our idiot."

"Deidara…! No way…!"

"… The people are running towards the entrance now," Sai commented. "I suggest you move Tori-suke."

"Ooh, ooh! I like that one, Sai," Mayu praised. "That's a good nickname for Sasuke."

"You think so? I am only trying it out. 'Chuckles' is another one I am thinking about."

"So you're going for the ironic route? Since he doesn't do it often?"

"Yes. I have learned that nicknames can be ironic as well."

"…" Sasuke chose not to contribute to the ridiculous conversation he was hearing. Naruto, though, felt the need to remind them of the situation.

"WOULD YOU BASTARDS COME _HELP_ ME?!"

Sasuke winced. This was the reason Naruto didn't need equipment like this. He didn't know how to control the volume of his voice. He turned his eyes back to the man, only he had left. The young Uchiha sighed. "I guess the mission is a failure," he muttered. He hopped onto the railing, and then jumped down to the ground. He touched the button again. "We better go help him."

"I agree…" Sai said.

"… I suppose we should," came Mayu's hesitant voice. "Alright…! Everyone, follow the giant flying cock!"

"… Mayu, stop it," Sasuke admonished.

0-0

Naruto ran. Explosions were heard close behind him. "Damn…" he muttered as he ran. The dense forest made it hard to attack his opponent. And yet the blond chasing after him couldn't _wait_ to detonate his bombs. If only there was a clearing… "Yes…!" Naruto exclaimed, seeing a flat piece of land up ahead. In other words, there were no trees preventing his attacks from reaching his enemy. When he reached the middle of the clearing, he stopped. A moment later, the giant clay bird flew into view. The blond man was still on its back. A sadistic smirk was on the man's face as he looked down at his prey. Naruto almost rolled his eyes at the threats being directed his way. Honestly, did all enemies feel the need to monologue? But this enemy had been seen previously. He had been the one to kidnap the Kazekage. Mayu and Ino had gone after him, but he had escaped. Now he appeared in front of him again. What had been his name? Hadn't Mayu said it? The only 'name' he could remember was 'Male Ino.'

The Akatsuki member suddenly made a tossing motion with his hand. Naruto quickly formed hands signs. "Shadow Clone Jutsu…!" One clone came into existence, and then quickly picked up Naruto and launched him upward towards the blond enemy. Bomb and shinobi glided past one another just as the enemy formed a hand sign.

"KATSU…!" The blast lifted Naruto higher. His feet touched down on the clay bird. He reared his fist back, intending to strike "What the hell…?!" That had been all he could say before Naruto's clenched fist rammed into his cheek. Blood spurted from his mouth as he fell off his own creation. Just as he was about to celebrate his hit, the massive clay bird rumbled, and then began its crash course with the ground.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!" Naruto leapt from the bird, but now he was free falling.

"Naruto!" The familiar voice of his teammate calling out to him caught his attention. Arms held above her, Mayu flew past—thanks to Sai's large ink phoenix—and grabbed him. The phoenix flew higher to avoid the large explosion that came with the clay bird's crash with the ground. With the added weight, the kunoichi fell to her knees. But Naruto was safe. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Took you guys long enough!"

"Oh. We thought you could handle it, Mr. Big Shot," Mayu retorted, narrowing her eyes. "So we took our sweet time getting here."

"We had tea," Sai smiled, going along with his teammate's white lie.

"You guys are real assholes," Naruto glowered. He set his sights on the enemy below them. "That guy's crazy! I'm glad I ran here instead of where the kid's festival was."

"_Oi_!" Deidara shouted up at them. "You look just like the guy I was sent to kill! You're related aren't you, _un_?"

"_Bah_! You don't stand a chance against Uncle Mori! Idiot!" Mayu called back down.

"You little…!" Deidara shoved his hands into his pockets, pulling out a bit of clay. "I'll kill you all, un!" Before he could make good on this threat, he was stabbed from behind. The ninja above him could only stare in surprise at what they were witnessing. A dark cloaked form had appeared behind the Akatsuki member in a blink and impaled him with the sharp end of a kunai. The person stood to his full height, which towered over Deidara's height of, roughly, one-hundred and sixty. With a swift turn, the person decapitated the blond enemy, and then raised a foot and kicked the enemy in the back. The brutality of it all made Naruto gasp. His teammates, however, continued to stare, almost impassively. The body fell forward before turning into clay.

"_Eh_… Who is that?" Mayu murmured. The person suddenly removed the hood of his cloak and looked up. "_Wah_!" Paying no heed to her teammates' shouts, she jumped overboard. Arms outstretched, she descended. The person quickly moved, reaching his arms out towards the falling kunoichi. She would have taken him down had he not spun around in an effort to maintain balance. "UNCLE MORI!" Mayu almost screamed.

"Mayu-chan…" The man returned the fierce hug as he left her feet touch the ground. "Mayu-chan!"

The phoenix hovered lower to the ground before returning to ink. Three pairs of feet touched the ground, and yet the two Ishikari clan members did not separate. "So…" Naruto narrowed his eyes, watching his teammate cry over the reunion. "That's Uncle Mori…?" He cleared his throat. "Ishikari Morino?"

"That's appears to be the case," Sai said. "I have never seen Queen in this state before. Crying and smiling at the same time. Is this a phenomenon?"

"You've got some more required reading to do, Sai," Naruto muttered.

"You shouldn't talk, Naruto."

"Up yours, Sasuke!"

Meanwhile, behind the cover of the forest, Deidara of Akatsuki glared at the one responsible for his current injury. It hurt like a bitch. His hand pressed against his bleeding skin. That had been way too close for comfort. That man was not a joke. Any second later, and Deidara knew his life would have been over. His clay clone had saved him again. In order to kill the Ishikari, he would definitely need distance. _"Shit…"_ He grimaced as he backed away, keeping his eyes on the group of Leaf ninja. Trying to complete his mission now would only get himself killed. For now, he had to focus on recuperating. It wasn't like Kakuzu was still alive to sew him back together like last time. He needed to be cautious this time around. "But it won't be the last time they see me, un." Deidara disappeared by use of a transportation jutsu.

Ishikari Morino finally released his niece, faint smile gracing his features. "I thought you were gone," he murmured.

"I was," Mayu replied. "Mother sent me away with the forbidden jutsu. I have only recently returned and gained my memories. But we can talk about this later. For now, we should head back to…" Sasuke had stopped listening at this point. He touched a button on his headset, intending to let Haku in on the situation. Actually, he wouldn't be surprised if the older teen already knew. The explosions had been quite loud, and on an island as small as this, they probably shook the entire area.

"I understand," Haku said after the explanation was giving. "I will inform the villagers. You can return to my home, but I will continue to search for Akatsuki. I do not want a dangerous person in such a peaceful village."

"Got it. Someone will help you search later. Our mission is only half-way complete."

"Then Naruto-kun and I will start ours."

"What?"

"Nothing!" Naruto blurted out, waving a hand in Sasuke's face in an effort to distract his teammate. "Haku's just being silly. Don't listen to him!" The protest only made the Uchiha suspicious. "Seriously, it's nothing! He's probably talking about… sh-shopping or something."

"Right…"

0-0

My pride as a writer has taken a blow with the results from the last chapter. Two reviews…? I mean, really! I know that some of you—okay, well, most of you—didn't favor Yasmine, but _jeez_. Two?! Or maybe it's because I can't describe a fight to save my life? Or I took too long to update? What happened? I just… I haven't gotten only two reviews for a chapter since I've started writing fanfiction in the first place. This is so… _embarrassing_.

But whatever…!

I'll still try my best to update with revised chapters because I'm sure we're getting closer to that awkward moment where Mayu gets her memories back. Oh my… it will be awkward indeed. Tootles, my loves.


	23. Psychological War

"Are you _sure_ this is going to work?"

Haku pulled a small bottle that was hidden under the floorboards of his room. His eyes examined the label of the bottle. He had purchased it years ago. A man was that sold it to him was very strange. Most likely because of the turtle shell on his back. Thinking back, Haku didn't know why he even spoke with the strange man. In the end, he ended up buying the potion from him. Now he finally had a reason to use it. On the label, it read: 'Master Roshi's Magic Remedy, for the pervert in all of us!' Brown eyes glanced in Naruto's direction. "Of course. What's the worst that could happen?" he asked. "This is _for_ Sasuke-kun. You said that he was unhappy, right?" Stiffly the blond ninja nodded his head. "Don't worry about it…" Haku turned the bottle over and read out loud, in a soft voice. "It says 'Just two drops of this baby will have your lady friend go wild!' _Hm_… How very convenient. The instructions say we need a strand of hair. That should have been easy to get, right?"

"Yeah," Naruto answered, holding up a single strand of hair. "If it helps Sasuke, I'm all for it." He grinned. Haku noticed another bottle in under the floorboard. He pulled it out and read it silently. It was the antidote for Master Roshi's Magic Remedy. The ice-user blinked before handing it to Naruto. The shinobi read over the label before shrugging. "Won't need that," he commented, and then tossed the bottle back in the hole. "We need a bit of his blood, right?"

"I'll handle that later on, Naruto-kun. You should focus on your mission right now." The older teen pointed to a closet. "If you succeed in finding your teammate's uncle, you have to be sure to keep quiet about this." The ninja rapidly nodded his head. "More than likely, our plans would be ruined. We cannot let that happen."

0-0

Contrary to popular belief, Haku was quite the prankster.

At first glance, no one would suspect that the feminine man had a twisted mind with a very twisted sense of humor. Actually, one probably wouldn't have suspected if they glanced at him a second, or a third time. His twisted sense of humor was under several layers. Having a rough childhood, and then turned into a personal 'tool,' Haku didn't have the chance to experience fun. He most likely would have turned out fine if it weren't for Momochi Zabuza. The older man's sick mind corrupted poor Haku, leaving him with an equally twisted—no, far worse twisted mind.

Haku truly believed that his pranks _helped_ people. He wouldn't _dare_ use a prank for his own selfish desires. No way...! That would be just _wrong_! Haku smiled brightly as he continued to crush and grind several ingredients in a small bowl. He hummed a light tune as he worked. He reached up to remove the long strand of hair that slightly blinded his vision. "Only one more ingredient left," Haku spoke silently as he stopped grinding. The mixture now appeared to be in a purple liquid form. "Just one more component should do it. But whom do I choose…?" The man did not notice that his smile turned somewhat sadistic.

It really didn't matter who was chosen to be the casualty—er… to be the assistant. The assistant is what Haku was thinking… Yeah… The man pulled out a hidden senbon. He twirled it with his fingers. A mischievous glint showed in his deep brown eyes. He silently walked from the small kitchen. He headed down the hall, towards the rooms where the Konoha ninja were sleeping. He slid open the first door and peered in.

Mayu and her uncle seemed to be sleeping peacefully on separate futons. Haku let a frown cross his face as he shut the door. Perhaps it would be a better idea to choose the other candidate. That man was an experienced ninja—decades under his belt. The girl's uncle most likely wouldn't appreciate a stranger sneaking into the room. With a regretful sigh, Haku went to the next room and opened the door. Sai, Sasuke, and Naruto all slept on three separate futons. They were seemingly unaware of their visitor stepping into the room. The older male knew from experience that Naruto was a heavy sleeper, so he wasn't worried about him. But the other two were questionable.

"Mayu, you naughty girl…! Not in public!" Sasuke moaned in his sleep; Haku's gaze shifted over to the Uchiha in surprise. "… But… if you insist…" The ice-user pursed his lips. Well, he was a teenager. It was only natural to have an… alluring dream. It appeared as though Sasuke was a deep sleeper as well. Good. That would make this easier. He crept over to the sleeping males. He softly placed a hand on the Leaf ninja's shoulder. He didn't wake. Haku smirked in satisfaction. He slowly and deliberately pierced the flesh of the ignorant ninja. Blood seeped through the cut he had made. Haku made a one-handed hand sign. He flexed his hand. The blood levitated off of the skin and into mid air.

Over the years, Haku discovered that his advanced bloodline could not only control water and ice, but any water-like substance. The ability was pretty handy when it came to fishing. Using his other hand, Haku pulled out a small glass vial from his pocket. He opened the top as he maneuvered his hand to get the blood to hover over the vial. Haku clenched his hand and the blood dropped into the vial. He quickly placed the cap on the vial and stood from his crouched position.

The man left as quietly as he'd come. He made his way back to the kitchen where he had left his supplies. He happily poured the last element into his mixture. Haku began humming again as he mixed the blood into the purple concoction. He lifted the bowl over a glass cup and poured the now deep purple liquid in. Continuing to hum, he put the glass in the refrigerator. He shut the door and began cleaning up the mess he had created. "Tomorrow will be so much fun," Haku mused with a smile.

Again, he did not notice his smile turned slightly wicked.

0-0

Mayu dragged her feet across the hall. She was basically still half asleep. When she had finally managed to wake up, her uncle was not in the room. She had checked the other room to see that none of her teammates had been present either. The kunoichi then assumed that her team had been eating. However, they hadn't been in there. Now she was heading towards the kitchen. "Don't tell me _all_ of those mofos left me!" She openly yawned as she stepped into the kitchen. She was greeted by a familiar face.

"_Ah_, Mayu-san…! You're finally up!" a voice exclaimed. Mayu looked up through narrowed, tired eyes. "_Oh_… You don't look so good… You're not a morning person, huh?"

"It takes awhile for me to completely wake up," Mayu muttered, sitting at the small table in the middle of the kitchen. Her eyes were bloodshot. Her hair, that used to be beautiful curls, had lost its bounce, and now looked in disarray. Mayu propped her head in her hands. She watched Haku pour some type of hot liquid into a clay cup.

"Here, this should wake you up," he told her. He passed her the cup. Nodding, Mayu took the cup from the man.

"Where are the others?" she questioned, and then yawned.

"Oh, they all went out. I needed some things. I was going to go myself, but your uncle insisted that they do it," Haku answered. Mayu nodded her head again, and then drank the liquid. The kunoichi suddenly made a twisted expression… almost as if she had swallowed something sour… The hot liquid spewed from her mouth like an erupting volcano. _"Luckily, she spit it out to the side," _Haku thought with a smile. Mayu turned to glare at her current host.

"This is not tea…!" she hissed; drops of green liquid slid down her chin. Blue eyes looked into the half empty cup. "It's like the hottest fucking chili I've ever tasted!"

"I never said it was tea, Mayu-san," Haku spoke, never losing his smile. Mayu stared at him for a moment, random thoughts going through her head. She blinked, and then blinked again. Something was wrong with Haku. That's the only reasonable explanation that the Ishikari could come up with. Even though she only knew him for a small amount of time, she knew that Haku did not relish in another person's misery. Sure, his caretaker was questionable when it came to that subject, but not sweet little Haku. The kunoichi narrowed her eyes, clearly suspicious. Then again, all that controversy about whether he was a boy or girl might have gotten to him.

Haku sipped his _tea_, completely ignoring the apprehensive look he was receiving. "So, Mayu-san… if you don't mind, I have a couple of things I want to speak with you about," he said, setting his cup down.

"Go ahead," Mayu responded. "But make it fast. I've got morning exercises to do." Haku chuckled lightly before speaking.

"You… did inhabit the body of Naruto-kun's teammate a few years ago, right?" he began.

"So he told you?" Mayu responded, and then sighed. "That loudmouth… I don't think a lot of people were supposed to know about that." Haku chuckled again. The kunoichi shifted in her chair. "But yeah, I did. Sasuke was the only one who knew about me… Her name was Haruno Sakura."

"The pink-haired one," Haku said. "You were quite amusing."

"Pink-haired…? How did—I mean, I didn't think I would allow myself to go walking around with pink hair…"

"Oh, because of the unusual amount of water in the air, that black hair dye began to run," Haku said. "I saw the pink roots."

"_Ah_, I see," Mayu muttered; she stared at the wooden table for a moment. "Ne, Haku-kun… Since I was… knocked unconscious… could you tell me what happened?" The older teenager nodded his head. It didn't come as a shock to him. It was only naturally for her to be curious about it. The womanly man briefly wondered why no one had felt the need to tell her.

"Naruto-kun, along with your whole team, thought you were dead," he said; Mayu bobbed her head. That had always been the end of her _nightmares_. Dying as Haruno Sakura. When she had begun to have them, she had no clue what the nightmares could mean or why they had been reoccurring. But she had an answer now. "Of course, you were never dead, but Sasuke-san sure lost it when he thought you did. He suddenly gained a burst of power. He speed, his strength—I just couldn't keep up with him." Haku had noticed the surprised look Mayu was currently wearing. A small smirk appeared. "Even back then, Sasuke-san must've really cared for you, Mayu-san."

"_Ah_… I guess you're right," she mumbled, and then grinned. She didn't realize that a blush had settled on her cheeks, but Haku sure did. A sudden glint appeared in his eyes. His smirk had grown into a grin; Mayu didn't notice. "Sasuke and I—we bonded before that day on the bridge." She frowned. "It must have been painful for him to lose someone he had only just considered a friend. I think I told him that I had something in common with him… and he clung to that."

"If I may ask, what was it?" Haku inquired.

"Well, it definitely wasn't humor, that's for sure!" Mayu laughed out. "I bet he didn't open up to me because of my awesome sense of humor." She laughed, probably at an inside joke. "Anyway… The thing we both had in common was revenge." She nodded her head, remembering that talk she and Sasuke had had. "He wanted someone dead, and I told him I wanted the same of another man."

"_Ah_, Sasuke-san must've seen you as someone he could relate to," Haku murmured. "If you really had died, I wouldn't be here… My death would be pointless… That's what he said to me when he realized that-"

"Yeah, I can see Sasuke saying something like that. That bird brain is rude as hell." The kunoichi shrugged. She abruptly stood up, and then stretched her arms up high. "Well, it's been a real slice, Haku-kun, but I should get started already. If my team and uncle gets back before I do, just tell them… that I got lost on the road of life." Mayu giggled as she walked out of the room. Haku watched her go before blinking. She was such a strange girl. But…

"_I can see why Sasuke-san and Naruto-kun like her so much,"_ he thought. Mayu had the ability to lighten the mood. Had she noticed his somber expression as he spoke of Sasuke's words to him? Honestly, after that day on the bridge, where he and his master had separated, the years had been hard. Being without Zabuza had been awfully lonely. For awhile, he had blamed Sasuke for saying such words to him. _Your death would be pointless_. Those words had changed his life. Now, he realized, it was for the better. In a way, he owed Uchiha Sasuke. Haku's smile appeared again. _"__This will be my favor to him personally."_

0-0

"Tori-suke… Tori-suke… Tori-suke…" Sai continued to call out to the Uchiha. Sasuke's eye twitched a little as the two walked down another aisle. They were in a newly built 'super market.' The large building was much larger than the normal shops in town. It was actually only a year old. Haku had told them that he participated in the construction, along with that bridge builder. Sasuke, in all honesty, didn't care. "Tori-suke…" Mentally sighing, the Uchiha closed his eyes briefly. The pale ninja beside him had been calling him that insufferable name since this morning. Apparently, it had come to him suddenly and was blurted out before he could stop himself. Naruto laughed loudly before being reminded of _his_ fond nickname. The blond had sobered quickly after being called 'Dickless.'

"What? What do you want, Sai?" Sasuke finally asked.

"I'm curious as to why you haven't asked me why Queen's uncle wanted to talk with me," he answered as if he hadn't been annoying his teammate for the past five minutes. "And now Dickless has left us to talk to him as well." Sai's dark eyes scanned over the list in his hands, and then shifted over to the shelf. He picked up a jar of cherries, and then dropped it into the basket he was carrying. He turned to his teammate, whom was looking quite bored and slightly irritated.

"If I do ask, will you be quiet?" Sasuke asked. Sai smiled cheerfully.

"It all depends on your answer, Tori-suke," he said. The Uchiha inaudibly sighed.

"Fine… What did he talk to you about?"

"He wanted to know how I felt about Queen," Sai answered.

"How nice," Sasuke commented. The voice he used told Sai that he wasn't really interested. He had used _sarcasm_, one of the many things friends do with each other, as the book told him. A minor blush appeared on his pale cheeks face. His teammate now considered him as a _friend_! It appeared that he had been making progress.

"I imagine that he's doing the same with Dickless," Sai remarked. "I am going to assume that he will do the same to you."

"I can hardly contain my excitement," came the flat reply. _More_ sarcasm…! Sai was so happy that he had come up with a nickname for his teammate; otherwise, they wouldn't be 'joking around,' as the book dictated.

Suddenly, Uzumaki Naruto came up to them. "Hey, guys…!" he exclaimed. The blond genin had a huge grin on his face. It was so huge that his eyes were closed, Sai noted. "Just finished talking to Uncle Mori about Mayu. We get along just fine," he boasted. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. "But anyway," Naruto continued, paying no heed to Sai's curious look. "Sasuke, it's your turn. Try to make a _good_ impression."

"Is there a reason why you just said that?"

"Well, it's no secret, Sasuke. You're a stick in the mud with people you don't know, so-"

"Whatever. Where is he?" Sasuke asked, impatiently. Naruto snorted.

"He's in the fruit and vegetable section," he answered. The Uchiha walked off hurriedly. Another minute with the ever curious Sai was not a good thought. Most of the time, he had gotten along with the pale ninja. However, when Sai decided he wanted to ask questions—awkward questions—Sasuke thought numerous times of banging his head against something hard and dense… like Naruto's head. His eagerness to become friends with his comrades was okay for the most part, but damn his social awkwardness. Sasuke involuntarily shuddered. He really hoped that Sai wouldn't start spouting _friendship speeches_. That would be the end of his sanity. It wasn't long before Sasuke's dark eyes spotted Mayu's uncle.

"Hey…" he said out loud.

"Yo," the older man replied without turning to face him. Sasuke stood beside Morino, whom was staring intensively down at the green grapes. With a shrug, the Uchiha stared at the fruits as well. The two didn't speak for a time. He stole a quick glance at the man. It was not surprising that he looked similar to Mayu, particularly the eyes. Both of their eyes looked as if they were hiding many secrets. Not that Sasuke didn't have his own secrets, but… still. Another similarity that the two shared was their skin complexion. Well, actually, Morino's skin complexion was slightly darker than Mayu's. This told Sasuke that he had had much more sun than Mayu did. Sasuke also noticed the faint mustache under Morino's average sized nose. His other facial appearance included a small mole right next to his left eye. It moved every time the man blinked. "Could you stop with the staring, kid?" Morino suddenly spoke in his unique gruff voice, causing Sasuke to jump slightly.

"_Hm_…" His tongue ran over his front teeth. Admittedly, he was embarrassed for being caught. His head turned away. "Mayu likes sour grapes."

"I'm well aware," came the curt reply. The two stood in silence once more. Morino moved away from the grapes. Sasuke narrowed his eyes before following him. So far… Morino and Mayu didn't act alike. Mayu would have started a conversation by now, even if the other person hadn't wanted to talk. Morino, though, had barely spoken. The Uchiha stared at the brown spikes on top of the man's hand as he followed him. "Uchiha…!" Morino's sudden outburst caused him to jump again. He voice was startling. Sasuke straightened his hunched back. "Come, walk beside me. I don't want to appear as if I'm talking to the air."

The Uchiha grunted lightly before falling into step with Mori. "So what do you want to talk me about?" he asked, not looking at the older man.

"I would, first off, like to thank you for telling me about Mayu-chan," Morino said. "If you hadn't, I would have knocked you unconscious and left, not knowing my niece was on your team."

"I'm glad I did, too… I've never seen Mayu so happy."

"_Hm_… That Uzumaki Naruto has told me about your… circumstances with my niece," Morino stated. Sasuke almost visibly twitched. That mouthy teammate of his—just what the hell did he say? "Is this true?"

"Yes…" he carefully replied. "I knew of Mayu's true identity when we were children. She has appeared twice prior to now, but as two other girls. This is the first time I've seen her face."

"_Mm_." Sasuke couldn't begin to understand that. Where Mayu was easy to read, sometimes, Morino completely concealed his inner thoughts. "How is Mayu-chan on this team? She's not causing trouble, is she?" He placed a bag of beans in the basket. The Uchiha almost laughed.

"There are times when she can be hectic, but most of the time, she's helpful," he responded. "Her tactics in battle rival that of a commander."

"Just like her mother." Sasuke noticed the slight smile on the Ishikari's face. Then it was gone. Had he imagined it? No. His eyes were keen. Sasuke was confident in that. The man continued to stare ahead. His face was passive as if he was thinking of nothing. "Do you have any aspirations, Uchiha? Something you want to do before you die?" Morino suddenly spoke again. Sasuke hesitated before answering.

"… I want to punish the one responsible for the destroying my clan," he said. "And… revive it as well."

"_Ah_, revenge, _eh_?" Morino murmured. "Tell me, who is it that you're after."

"My brother."

"… Your brother…? An Uchiha…?"

"That's correct."

"This brother of yours… wouldn't happen to be Uchiha Itachi, would it?" Morino asked.

"That, too, is correct," Sasuke replied. "We're after the same man. I want him dead before I start my other goal. And no matter what, I can't die in our battle."

"Well, I'll be a cocoon's uncle," Morino commented; Sasuke smirked. "Mayu-chan would probably kick me if she heard me say that."

"Believe me, I know," the Uchiha stated. He tentatively glanced at the older man. "Ishikari-san… I want Mayu to help me."

"Help you…? With what? You don't mean killing your brother, do you?" Morino asked. "I don't think she would do that."

"I _wouldn't_ ask her to do that," Sasuke stated. He slid his tongue against his front teeth. "I meant… I want her to help me rebuild the Uchiha clan. I want her help."

The older Ishikari stopped. His foot was left hanging in the air. After a few moments, the man put his foot back to the ground, and then turned to stare at Sasuke, who had also stopped. "You… want my little Mayu-chan to help you with _that_?" Morino slowly inquired. The glare he was currently giving would make a lesser man fall, but Sasuke was not a lesser man.

"With all due respect, Ishikari-san… Mayu is no longer little." He met the glare head on. Since they met, Sasuke hadn't seen the man without a passive face. Seeing his glare now was like confirming that he was indeed related to Mayu. "After Itachi is taken care of, I intend on asking for her hand. We'll have many, _many_ babies and we will grow old. We will be happy, knowing that we succeeded in repopulating the world with Uchiha and Ishikari alike." The two continued to stare one another down, completely ignoring the other shoppers that walked in between them.

"You've… really thought this over, haven't you, kid?" Morino finally said.

"That's right… I… I've never felt stronger than when she is beside me. I had almost drowned, but she extended her hand to me even when it was unwanted," Sasuke replied. "I love Ishikari Mayu."

"Have you told her this?"

"… No…"

"Why not?"

"She… has forgotten. She used a jutsu and left. She does not remember the times we've shared," he answered. Then Sasuke looked away in slight embarrassment. "And I'm… kinda scared of her reaction if she finds out before she gets her memories…" To his surprise, Morino laughed quite loudly. It was a hearty laugh, not teasing in the least. Once his laughter subsided, he looked back at Sasuke, who had a slight blush on his cheeks. The older ninja began to walk away, and then told him to keep following. For a moment, Sasuke only stood there, watching Morino's departing back. _"Does… that mean he accepts me?"_ he thought. The Uchiha sighed inaudibly, and then went after his teammate's relative. That had gone better than expected.

0-0

The four males walked down the road. Each of them carried two brown paper bags in their arms. Haku had certainly asked them to get a lot of things. It was already passed lunch time. It was as if the feminine man kept the four out on purpose. But that couldn't be. There was no reason for such a thing to happen. What reason could he possibly have for being alone with Ishikari Mayu? Only Uzumaki Naruto knew the reason, which is why he couldn't stop the occasional snickers that came from his mouth. Fortunately, no one had bothered to question it. Spilling the beans on such an important wouldn't be such a good idea. Especially in the presence of Mayu's uncle. Speaking of the quiet man, he hadn't really stated whether or not he planned on returning to the village yet.

"Uncle Mori…? Can I ask a question?" Naruto asked. The four were still walking towards Haku's home. It would probably take another ten minutes at the pace they were going. The older Ishikari nodded his head in reply. "You… are returning to the village with us, right? I didn't get a chance to ask you last night." Morino sighed lightly. "I mean, Mayu would really like that, and our mission will be a success."

"Yeah, I'm planning to return with you," he answered. "After everything is sorted out with the current Hokage… I will officially ask that he remove Mayu-chan from this team." Morino continued walking as if what he had said wasn't groundbreaking. The younger three males, however, stopped in their tracks. No, it wasn't because Morino had made the mistake of calling the Hokage a male. It was because of what he was going to ask of the Hokage.

"WHAT?!" Naruto was the first to break out of his stunned surprise. Both Sasuke and Sai put on their own disbelieving looks. Morino finally stopped, but he did not turn to face the three. He cleared his throat before facing the three.

"You all heard me," he calmly retorted. "My niece will no longer be your teammate."

"WHAT?!" Naruto shouted again. "WHY?!"

"I… don't understand," Sai said. "Why would you do that?"

Morino stared at them for a moment. He studied their reactions before speaking out. "I interviewed the three of you, separately. I asked questions, you answered. From our conversations, I deduced that you, all of you, are not fit to be teammates of my precious Mayu-chan." Silence was their response. The wind blew suddenly. The older male shifted the weight in his arms and then turned. "We best be getting a move on. I'm starving." He began walking again.

Naruto dashed after him, his teammates following his lead. The blond fell into step with the Ishikari. "B-B-B-But…! We had a nice conversation! I mean, things were going well, right, Uncle Mori?" he asked.

"Stop calling me that, and yes… it appeared as if things were going well," the man replied, not glancing at the puppy-eyed Naruto.

"What does that mean?" Sai asked. He and Sasuke were now on the other side of Mori.

"Exactly what I said," he answered. "To you, it all seemed pleasant, but with my skill in analysis, I saw and heard other things."

"Analysis skills…?" Sasuke muttered.

"It is my specialty. That's how I managed to find all those Akatsuki hideouts," Morino stated. "For instance… Uzumaki Naruto, you're the jailer of the Nine-tailed fox, aren't you?" The blond was clearly taken aback.

"How… How did you know?" he asked.

"Your eyes give it away," Mori said. "In my travels, I have come across jinchuuriki. They were the only ones who shared the same eyes. Trying desperately to hide their burden by covering their sadness with other emotions is another thing jinchuuriki have in common. Also, your chakra reserves are quite large. Not even an experienced ninja like myself could compare my capacity to yours. Besides those facts, every time I spoke of foxes, completely out of context, your hand would touch your stomach. You put up a pretty good façade, but that act doesn't hide the subtle way your body tells others of your demon…" Naruto bowed his head. "However, that is not the reason you're not fit to be on a team with my niece. You are an occupational hazard, someone who is unable to control himself in combat or otherwise. Your behavior is unacceptable as a ninja. Your reckless acts will eventually be the reason your comrades die!" Blue eyes narrowed, yet they did not turn to Naruto.

"I…!" he tried to protest. However, there was some truth in those statements. "I'm honestly working on-"

"_Working_ on it is not enough! I won't allow my precious niece to continue being near you!" Mori interrupted. Naruto scowled, but didn't speak. "Sai, if that is your real name, you're very hard to read. But I know a fake smile when I see one. I will not have my Mayu-chan succumb to being ignorant of her teammate's intentions. Ninja or not, you are not supposed to fool the ones you call friends." The pale ninja's eyebrows furrowed together as a small frown appeared on his face. It was the slightest hint that Sai was angered.

"And you, Uchiha Sasuke, are the worst of the three," Morino continued. "How could I possibly leave someone as fragile as Mayu-chan in your care? You are an ignorant boy who thinks they know everything about the world. You are selfish with your desires. You had no concern for anything other than yourself, disregarding matters if they are not trivial to you, living up to your Uchiha blood." Sasuke practically snarled. "And to top it all off-" The man looked at the person in question, paying no mind to the furious expression he had been receiving. "-You'd willingly kill the last member of your family. The last person in this world with your blood, and you want to end his life so hastily. I refuse to let Mayu have that type of influence in her life. You are unfit."

"He is the reason _why_ we are the last of Uchiha!" Sasuke defended. "Am I just supposed to _let_ him get away with that?! And you're after him yourself!"

"Uchiha Itachi is not my brother. We are not related by blood," Morino stated. "You, on the other hand, are… Kinfolk sticks together. It doesn't matter if it is through rain, sleet or snow. No matter what… Blood is _always_ thicker than water. How could you think you could start a family when you don't even know the meaning of the word?!" Sasuke opened his mouth to protest further, yet the man wouldn't allow him to. "It doesn't matter _what_ he did, Uchiha! Family is family! Family tries to understand! Did you try to understand why he did it?" There was no answer. "No…? You didn't? You just let anger consume you, didn't you? You just assumed that taking revenge on your own _brother_ was okay! That is not someone I want Mayu hanging around!"

"You don't know _anything about it_!" Sasuke raised his voice. He dropped the bags in his hands. Luckily, only bread was in his two bags. The Uchiha stopped, causing everyone else to stop. His shoulders were shaking, trying desperately to keep his rage in. Who the hell was this guy to tell him what he should and shouldn't do?! "I don't need to understand that man! Even if I did understand, he has to die! For what he did, no matter the reason, he_ has_ to die."

"… You are… something else," Morino furrowed his eyebrows. "A selfish person like you… doesn't deserve my niece." Luckily, Sai decided to hold his teammate back or a fight would have broken out. His bags were also lying on the ground. "I would never _ever_ allow someone like you to take away Mayu."

"Screw you, old man…! I _need_ her!"

"_We_ need her," Sai amended, craning his neck to look the older Ishikari. "Queen's a vital person to this team."

"Well, that's just too damn bad, isn't it?" Morino responded. "My Mayu-chan deserves better than an reckless _target_, an _untrustworthy_ con artist, and a _confused_, ignorant-ass Uchiha!" Sai suddenly found it a lot harder to hold back said ignorant-ass Uchiha.

"You can't do this!" Sasuke almost growled. "There's no way you can!"

"I believe this is true," Sai said. "Only Queen could-"

"No…" Naruto, who had been unnaturally quiet, finally spoke. "Because he is a member of Mayu's family, he can formally request that she be removed. Granny told me something like this once…"

"But it's just a request! A request won't do anything, right?" Sasuke asked.

"When family is involved, these requests are often granted," Morino stated. "And the teammates, no matter what the rank, can't do a thing about it. I can do as I please."

Sai's hands slowly dropped from Sasuke's shoulders. The Uchiha, himself, seemed to actually wilt. Was there… really nothing they could do? Were they really going to be separated from Mayu? An image of the girl appeared all three of the teens' minds; she was smiling, but then she suddenly faded into black. Damn it…!

0-0

"Uncle Mori…! Guys…! You're back!" Mayu called. She raced towards the four. Sweat slid down her exposed skin and dampened her shirt. "I saw you coming, so I thought… I could… greet… you?" The girl had slowed to a stop in front of the males. The reason she hesitated was because she noticed the downcast looks on her team's faces. She blinked, and then turned her eyes to her uncle. "What's wrong with-" she began to ask, but Morino dumped the two bags in her hands, successfully silencing her.

"Just in time for lunch, right?" he asked, grinning. "I'm starving…!" The man walked away, leaving Mayu standing there, staring at his back in confusion. Her uncle never interrupted her because he knew that she didn't like it. But he had just interrupted her… for lunch! Something was definitely not right with that.

"But…" she tried again.

"Come, come, Mayu-chan! Empty stomach to feed!" Morino called over his shoulder.

Mayu bristled.

Suddenly her teammates walked past, not giving her a glance. "Hey, guys…!" she tried to get her attention. "What's with the looks?" Only Sai turned his head. He had a smile on his face. Mayu's eyes grew wide.

"Come on, Mayu-san… Time is of the essence," he said. He turned his head back, not waiting for Mayu to catch up.

"_Okay, what the hell is going on here?!"_ the girl thought, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. _"Sai stopped giving me those fake smiles ever since he gave me a nickname! And that had to be the fakest smile I've ever gotten from him! What the hell happened __between those four…?!"_ Mayu walked slowly towards Haku's home. When she got there, Sai and Haku were already putting away the groceries. Sasuke, Naruto, and her uncle were sitting down at the kitchen table. In silence, she also began to put away some things. Sai smiled pleasantly, but Mayu knew that it was only a sham. If it was one thing in the world that the girl hated, it was definitely being left in the dark. To her, it was like everyone got invited to a party, except for her. She hated it!

After the items were put away, Haku served them all tea. The Konoha ninja all sat at the table, completely silent, while Haku placed cups in front of them. Mayu's blue eyes moved from one male to the next. None of them would look at her. None…! Even Uzumaki Naruto didn't take a quick look at her. His expression was much too solemn for her taste. This atmosphere… It was unnatural. Mayu ground her teeth together in aggravation. This was all very irritating. _"Well, I'm definitely going to get to the bottom of this…!"_ the girl thought as she drank her tea. _"Keep me in the dark, will they?!"_ She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't realize that she had drunken all of her tea. Haku did, though. The young man hadn't smirked and grinned this much since… well, _ever_. Mayu slammed her cup down and blinked. "Haku-kun, this tea tastes weird!" she grumbled, glaring at the feminine man. "It makes my stomach feel warm and tingly!"

"That's because you drank it too fast. It was hot, after all," Haku replied, giving her a smile. He completely ignored the glare.

After all, he'd be laughing in a few minutes…

Mayu made an 'oh' noise, and then stared into her cup. Well, this sucked. She hoped that Haku would have some other refreshment for her for lunch. She glared at her teammates again. First one was Sai. The pale ninja still had that phony smile plastered on his face. The next victim who received her glare was Naruto. He still wouldn't look at her. Mayu felt slightly insulted! Her gaze then fell on Sasuke. She blinked rapidly. _"What the hell?"_ she thought, staring at him through narrowed eyes. The Uchiha still wouldn't look at her. But Mayu didn't really care about that at the moment. Since when did Sasuke _shine_ like that?

Sasuke bitterly sipped his tea. He could not believe what Mayu's uncle was going to do! It made him angry. How dare this man come into their life and 'analyze' them as if they were a science project? And then, so calmly, say that they weren't 'fit' to be with Mayu? It pissed him off. Speaking of Mayu, Sasuke felt her eyes on him, but he didn't dare return her stare. He knew from familiarity that the girl could pick up almost anything when it came to him.

Mayu tried to tear her eyes away from the Uchiha. Really, she did. But _something_ kept bringing him in her line of vision. Maybe it was the fact that Sasuke was now removing his shirt. The Ishikari shook her head, and then focused on the Uchiha again. He wasn't taking off his shirt… Why would she be thinking about that? Mayu's mouth dropped open. Sasuke _was_ taking off his shirt! Was he slowly taking off his pants, too?!

He had stood and was now coming towards her! Mayu started shaking as Sasuke reached out to touch her. Maybe the reason she was feeling so nervous was the fact that he didn't have on anything but underwear. Sasuke licked his, in Mayu's opinion, sexy lips, and then leaned forward. "Why are you holding back…?" he asked in a husky voice. That voice almost caused Mayu to groan. The _hell_…? The Sasuke she knew never spoke like that. _Never_! She found his hand stroking her thigh. "I'm tired of waiting," he whispered. The tip of his tongue touched the top of her ear.

_Mmmm_.

With a yelp, Mayu fell out of her chair, causing her to wake from her daydream. "Mayu-chan, are you alright?!" The voice of concern came from her uncle. The kunoichi rapidly shook her head in an effort to clear her mind. It did not work.

"Ye-Yeah… I'm fine." She used the edge of the table to pull herself up from the floor. Her legs felt like jelly at the moment, so it was not an easy task. The girl finally sat down and stared into her lap, fully aware of the heat increasing. Her own heartbeat felt like thunder in her ears. This couldn't be. Her workout had already ended. She shouldn't be feeling like this. That damn daydream…

"Are you sure, Mayu-san?" Sai asked.

"Yeah, you zoned out for a minute," Haku remarked. He held an empty tray up to his face to hide the smirk. "What _were_ you thinking about?" he asked innocently.

Mayu shook her head one more time. "_Uh_… I was thinking about… ca-candy. Yes, _candy_. Candy is what I was thinking about," she answered. Her teammates, as well as her uncle, all gave her an odd look. They shrugged, and then went back to their tea. "Sexy, _sexy_ candy, that is…" The kunoichi bit her lower lip, trying to suppress a shudder. She rubbed her ear and closed her eyes, wanting to remember the sensation that traveled through her body.

"What was that, Mayu-chan?" Morino asked, not quite hearing her.

"Nothing!" she quickly responded, and then proceeded to fiddle with her fingertips.

0-0

Well, this is a shocking turn of events, wouldn't you say? How could Uncle Mori tear his niece away from her team? It seems so cruel!

Anyway… WARNING! WARNING! The next chapter may contain explicit content, not suitable for anyone under the age of sixteen… and people who are not mentally matured yet. If this warning applies to you, DO NOT proceed. (But if you choose to, it's not my fault…)

But then again, it only _**may**_ contain 'not suitable for anyone under the age of sixteen' material. When it comes out, read it at your own risk. I will not be held accountable for your reactions… but I do expect a review!

Speaking of reviews, thank you! Ten reviews in two days? _That's_ what I'm talking about. That is what I like! That is what gets faster updates! _Thank_ you!


	24. Heat

"You want us to _what_?!"

Haku calmly sipped his green tea as three pairs of eyes stared incredulously at him. Technically, it was only two. Sai managed to keep a straight face. The older teen took his cup away from his face and stared back at his three guests. He raised an eyebrow. He didn't understand their reactions at all. His plan was perfect, almost completely foolproof. Haku voiced his opinion.

"I guess that's okay, since we do have a fool in the group," Sasuke grumbled sarcastically and gave a pointed gaze to his blond teammate. Naruto blatantly ignored the look and the insult.

"You want us to _what_?!" he repeated. Haku set his cup down on the wooden table before speaking.

"I'm sure that all of your ears are functioning properly," he said. "You heard what I said. I won't repeat myself."

Naruto shook his head rapidly. "But how can you expect us to _ignore_ Mayu?!" he asked, finally stopping his shaking. His blue eyes gave Haku a sharp look. "You already know of our situation. Uncle Mori—I mean, Morino is planning on ripping her from-"

"Your clutches...?" Haku asked.

"_NO_! I mean... well, yeah... but not like _that_," Naruto muttered. "My point is: Why should we ignore our teammate if we know we have a limited time with her? It's not right!"

"I understand why you feel this way, but it must be done," Haku stated with a nod.

"Queen doesn't like to be interrupted _or_ ignored, Haku-san," Sai finally spoke up. "I'll assume and say that it's all a matter of time before… she ends us." Sasuke had to keep his body from shuddering. He knew that statement to be somewhat true. There were times with Mayu that he'd purposely ignore her. He was young back then and didn't know better. Never again would he underestimate Mayu's aim when it came to kicking. The Uchiha unconsciously put a hand over his crotch.

"That may be, but the plan remains the same," Haku informed them. "This is the only way… You three are to ignore Mayu-san on your journey back to the Leaf. Eventually, one of you will have to find some way to come back here. In the end, I'm sure that everything will be fine." Naruto gave him a wary look.

"I don't like it," he muttered.

"_Sasuke sure will,"_ Haku thought. In his mind, a chibi version of himself was cackling like a mad scientist. This was all a part of his insidious—_er_, promising plan. Well, Morino's sudden decision to take Mayu away from the group wasn't part of it. Not at all. But Haku could work around that minor divergence. "When are you leaving?" He focused his attention on the three again. The three ninja still looked a bit uneasy about their known parts in his plan. He mentally waved off their looks, dubbing it unimportant. As long as they did their part, it didn't matter how _they_ were feeling.

"When the sun sets," Sasuke answered.

"Yeah, that guy is still out there somewhere," Naruto stated, folding his arms. "We should leave the village as quickly as possible. That seems like the best time to do so."

"Good, you have a couple hours," Haku stated. "You should start ignoring her once you're outside the village. That way, it'll appear as if I'm not involved." Sasuke gave him an odd look. Just what did that last statement of his mean? It didn't sound right. It was almost as if the older teen had an ulterior motive behind his so called plan to win Ishikari Mori over.

"Haku…" Sasuke began, narrowing his eyes. "You wouldn't happen to have some hidden reason for doing this, would you?" Haku's smile faltered. He picked up his cup and sipped. Hopefully, the cup concealed the nervousness in his smile.

"I do not have a hidden goal behind this, Sasuke-san," he answered. "I only want to help you three. You need Mayu-san beside you. I can clearly see that she is vital to the team. Mayu-san's uncle might be a superb analyst, but he is considered to be blind to what I see. Comrades, a team, a dysfunctional family… I cannot allow that to be broken apart."

Sai smiled lightly. Others could see it too? That meant he was doing something right. Haku even went as far as to label them as a _family_… a dysfunctional family, but a _family_ nonetheless. Naruto grinned sheepishly. He was deeply affected by Haku's compliment. Sasuke wasn't so easily convinced. There was definitely something that Haku was not saying. Unfortunately for the Uchiha, he had never shown any signs of being a prankster before. This was all new to him. Sasuke would soon come to find that out that he didn't like the twisted side of his the ice user. The Uchiha mentally shrugged, not finding any deception in Haku's posture. Whatever the older male had in store for the team, it would become clear eventually. He just had to wait. It wasn't like Haku was going to hurt them, so why worry about it, right?

"Enough about that, though," Haku said. "Shouldn't you be training? It is that time, isn't it?"

"Right, right," Naruto replied, standing.

"Yes, I almost forgot about endurance training," Sai commented, also standing. "Thank you, Haku-san." The pale ninja gave a small bow. Haku nodded.

"I'll see you guys later," he said. The three Konoha shinobi left the room, leaving Haku alone. After a moment, the man sighed. "That was close…" he muttered, looking towards the ceiling. "Sasuke-san's already on to me." He shrugged, and then stood. He'd just have to be more careful about what he said around that Uchiha. Come to think of it, Ishikari Morino and his perception abilities needed to be taken into account. That man had caused Haku to alter his arrangement once already. It would not happen again. Haku would see to that. Those poor souls had no idea what they were in for…

0-0

Ishikari Mayu stood in a clearing. Her forehead protector was tied securely around her eyes. To her, the world was shrouded in darkness. The wind shifted, causing her to involuntarily shudder. She licked her dry lips; the anxiety was already getting to her. She hadn't done something like this since she was six. Well, here goes nothing… The girl moved, with haste, across the field, completely blind. _"I really hope I don't run into a tree…" _she thought, still running. Her ear twitched at a familiar sizzling sound. She stopped and jumped back. A split second later, an explosion rang in her ears. She had come close to losing her leg.

"Don't run away, Mayu-chan…" her uncle's voice seemed to be all around. "Meet this challenge head on and reach the end of the clearing."

"_Easy for him to say," _Mayu thought. She bit her bottom lip. She sighed heavily before running forward again.

Morino watched his niece run across the giant field as the explosion notes triggered all around her. His blue eyes darted back and forth, keeping up with his niece's movements. _"She has become quite agile, fast, too…"_ he thought. The man looked on from the safety of a tree. Morino continued his observation of Mayu. In many ways, she was just like her mother. _"If all goes according t__o plan, I will see how far she has come."_ She really was the spitting image of Mayuka. A frown appeared on the man's face. Just thinking about his sister and her untimely death caused him to be upset. He would not allow the same to happen to his sister's daughter. It felt that it was his duty to protect and keep Mayu alive… for Mayuka. Mentally, the man shook his head. Depending on the results of his assessment, would his obligation even matter?

"UNCLE…! I THINK I'M FINISHED!" Mayu's voice brought him out of his thoughts. His blue eyes found the girl about to take her off her headband.

"Good," he called over. "But-"

"Crap…! I ended up where I started!"

Morino smirked. Of course, she _did_ get some of her straits from her father. He disarmed the rest of his explosion notes. "Its fine, Mayu-chan…!" he called. "That's enough for today." The young Ishikari looked up to see her uncle coming towards her.

"Kay…!" she replied with a grin. She then proceeded to tie her headband back in its original place. "Just in time, too."

By that time, Morino had reached his niece. He gave her a confused look. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Oh, the others are supposed to meet me here for endurance training," Mayu asked. "They're a bit late, though."

"_Ah_…" Morino frowned, not knowing what kind of training it was.

Of course he wouldn't know of Mayu's current training habits. It had been quite some time since he had supervised her training. Morino briefly wondered if she still practiced the Ishikari techniques. Studying his niece, he knew that she was no longer the cute little Mayu that had looked up to him. She was now a kunoichi, fully capable of handling herself. But her eyes… Something had definitely changed in them. Perhaps it was the fact that Uchiha Itachi had betrayed the Ishikari clan. Could that be the cause of… whatever was missing from her eyes? Morino unconsciously clenched his fists. _"He brought you pain and sorrow, didn't he, Mayu-chan? You didn't show it, but I know it's there,"_ he thought.

"Mayu-chan…!" a voice caused both Ishikari clan members to look towards the voice. Naruto, Sasuke, and Sai were all walking towards them.

"You're late," Mayu stated once the three reached her. She didn't look the least bit angered by this, though.

"We would have gotten here sooner, but nooooo, Sasuke said go leeeeffft!" Naruto replied in a mocking tone. Sasuke grumbled an insult that didn't quite reached Naruto's ears. "But we're here now, so let's get started with the endurance training."

"Who will go first?" Sai asked.

"I volunteer Sasuke!" Mayu raised an arm and grinned.

"Thanks, Mayu, I really appreciate that," the Uchiha replied, not sounding appreciative at all.

"No problem, sweet cheeks." Every male present stopped their movements. _Sweet cheeks…?_ Did Ishikari Mayu just call Uchiha Sasuke… _sweet cheeks_? All four males turned their heads. Mayu looked as normal as ever. Well, it didn't look like she just called Sasuke's cheeks sweet, that's for sure! "What are you waiting for? Let's do this!" Mayu shouted, bringing her comrades out of their daze.

The Uchiha mentally shook his head, and then began to remove his shirt. Morino raised an eyebrow at his action. Why was he taking off his shirt as if it were the normal thing to do? Surely this wasn't a part of the training exercise…! To his chagrin, though, the other two males took off their shirts as well. Morino stared in disbelief as Mayu took their shirts without so much as batting an eyelash. He remembered a time when Mayu had screamed and run away whenever her father or he would train without shirts on. His little Mayu-chan had been tainted by these three devils! Mori pictured the said three devils with horns, red eyes, and claws. They were all surrounding his precious niece with evil grins on their faces. _"… I have go__t to stop reading manga__,"_ the man thought, trying to keep the grimace from his face.

"Okay, you guys can start while I fold these up and put them near a tree," Mayu said. The three males nodded, and then moved away. The young Ishikari moved in the opposite direction, towards the forest. Morino narrowed his eyes at the three males, and then followed after Mayu.

"Mayu-chan…!" he called. The girl sat under a tree and began folding the shirts. "This endurance training… what is it exactly?" he asked.

The young Ishikari stopped what she was doing and gave her uncle a blank stare. She blinked several times before turning her eyes towards her three teammates. "They're about to start, uncle," she responded. "Why explain it when it's right in front of you?"

"Good point, I suppose," Morino muttered, turning his eyes as well. He blinked a few times in shock. "Mayu-chan, are you aware that your teammates are beating the crap out of the Uchiha?"

"Yup," she replied, not turning her eyes away from the task of folding her teammates' shirts. After all, each one of them liked their shirts folded differently and separately. Mayu almost scoffed. _"And they talk about me and my pickiness…" _she thought.

"This… _This_ is the endurance training?!" Morino asked, eye twitching. Mayu didn't really pay attention to the incredulous tone in his voice.

"Yeah, it not only builds up a defense for the outside of the body, it also increases stamina," Mayu replied. "I'm happy knowing that their bodies can withstand more than the average ninja."

"You participate in this training?" Morino asked; he looked down at Mayu.

"Of course," she answered. "That would be kinda rude to suggest this style of training and not participate in it myself."

"_You_ came up with this?!"

"Well, yeah… I'm not going to lie about it. My body's naturally weaker than theirs, so I did this to toughen it up a bit," Mayu said. "I don't wanna be a liability to my teammates if the enemy tries to knock me out and take me hostage. Situations like that will commonly happen to this team since I'm the only girl on it. Also, after this, we wrestle. There are several holds we can get out of now."

"I… I see…" Morino mumbled.

The girl suddenly stood, finished with her task. "I'd better get read-"

"DAMN IT, NARUTO…! I TOLD YOU NOT THE FACE!" Sasuke's enraged voice interrupted her.

"_Oops_… my fist must've slipped," Naruto responded, not sounding the least bit sorry.

"My sword's about to _slip_ down your esophagus in a minute!"

Mayu sighed before heading over to them. "And they wonder why I tease them about their bromance," she muttered. As she sauntered over to them, Mayu couldn't help but to think that Sasuke was so ultra sexy when he yelled like that. That aggressive snarl, that animalistic growl and those bulging veins were all so… _Mmmm_. Just thinking about it made her tremble in exhilaration. For now, the kunoichi tried to shake those thoughts away. This was training—more important than how more attractive her teammate had become since the morning. The kunoichi stopped in front of her teammates, who had momentarily stopped their part of the endurance training to acknowledge her presence. "Let's continue then."

The young Ishikari removed her shirt. To Naruto and Sai, they thought nothing of it. However, to Sasuke, it was a show. Ever since they started this type of training, he had gotten to see more flesh from Mayu than he ever had. Dark eyes stared as the shirt was slowly removed, revealing her black sports bra underneath. The Uchiha swallowed hard at the sight. Her skin glistened due to her already sweating body under the light of the sun. When he had first began to… think of Mayu's body, his mind believed that she would have a flat stomach. However, that was not the case. Really, he should have known. His teammate exercised most mornings, and the exercises mostly targeted her abdominal area. Sasuke slid his tongue across his teeth and pried his eyes away from the alluring sight of Mayu. "Y-Yeah," he agreed, hoping his cheeks weren't dusted pink. Fortunately, the blush had been wiped away pretty quickly due to Naruto punching his exposed stomach, which caused Sasuke to double over.

The girl blinked twice. "Jeez, Naruto … If I didn't know any better, I'd say you _liked_ this part of training!"

"What can I say? I love your training methods!" the blond said, and then gave a haughty laugh. His laugh was cut short by Sasuke kicking him, causing him to fly back. Mayu chuckled lightly as Naruto quickly stood. He dashed back over to the smirking Uchiha; their brawl began.

"This isn't how it goes," Mayu muttered. "But this happens every time, doesn't it, Sai-chan?" The pale ninja nodded in agreement.

"Shall we…?" he asked.

"Yup…!" Mayu turned her eyes to the still brawling guys. "Hey, if you two are listening, then we're switching partners in about five minutes!" Sasuke and Naruto didn't seem to be paying attention at the moment. "Okay… as long as you heard me." Suddenly, Sai's elbow made contact with Mayu's back, causing the girl to yelp, more so in surprise. "_Aaahh_, my spine…!" she screamed. There was also a little pain… "Sai-chan, I wasn't ready!" she muttered, turning to face her teammate.

"You won't always be ready when an enemy attacks," Sai responded, smiling.

"Still, you jerk…!" Mayu whimpered, and then kicked her comrade, causing him to give an inaudible groan. And so, for the next fifteen minutes, Morino watched his niece get the crap beaten out of her by her own teammates. Not to say that she didn't do the same, but it still hurt to see. None of them looked as though they were pulling their punches. Letting his grimace show briefly, the older ninja finally turned away from the scene. He did not need to see something like this. He would wait until their training was over to come back. With that thought in mind, Morino left the younger ninja by themselves.

It was thirty minutes later that the team lied on the ground, breathing heavily. Finally, the kunoichi of the team rolled onto her stomach before pushing herself into a sitting position. She glanced at her three teammates for a moment, eyes lingering on the rise and fall of the Uchiha's chest longer than she should have. _Mmmm_. It took a moment before she collected herself again. "So…" Mayu began. She then cleared her throat. "You guys want to tell me what's up?" Her innocent question caused the three shinobi to momentarily halt their panting. Guilt…? Naruto was the first to spring up, animatedly denying that something was amiss. Sasuke was next, whacking the blond upside the head to stop the dramatics. Then it was Sai, whom had moved slowly into his sitting position.

"Queen… how did you know?" he asked. Both Naruto and Sasuke shot him almost betrayed looks, which were ignored.

"You guys are feeling very frustrated," Mayu replied. She raised a brow. "With yourselves…?" The three lowered their gazes. "You guys hit each other so hard today, and yet your punches weren't nearly as hard when it came to me. It was like you were taking your frustrations out on one another. So are you guys going to tell me what's going on with you or am I going to have to wait?" None of them gave a reply. "Alright. Fine. I'll wait, but I can't promise for how long. Your frustrations will become my frustrations." Mayu smiled lightly. "And you _know_ how I deal with being frustrated, right?" Naruto shuddered. Sasuke winced. Sai frowned. "But for now, I'll help you to ease some of the tension. I know a couple ways to do that. Naruto, for you I suggest running."

"Why?"

"Do not question me. I know what I'm doing. I was the captain of an archery team, after all," the kunoichi crossed her arms and closed her eyes in a smug manner. Naruto pouted. "Sai," she continued, fixing a gaze on her pale teammate. "You haven't been delving into your creative mind recently, right? For you, I suggest finding an isolated location where you can draw in peace."

"I understand."

"Good. Well, hop to it!" Mayu ordered. "We'll meet back at Haku's in an hour in preparation for leaving."

"What about Sasuke?" Naruto questioned. "What's he going to do?"

"_Hm_... Yes, who is he going to do?"

"What?"

"What?"

"Did you just say _who_?"

"Of course not, Naruto. Don't be ridiculous." Mayu tittered softly, waving off the argument. "I will give Sasuke a massage," she went on, changing the subject.

"Are… You can do that?" Sasuke asked. "You know how?"

"I'm sure it's easy. My sempai massaged my arms," she answered, shrugging.

"I do not believe that easily translates."

"_Hush_, Sai-chan, mommy and daddy are talking," Mayu scolded. "Right. Off you go then!" Almost reluctantly, the two ninja—Naruto and Sai—stood up and proceeded to go about their tasks. Once they were gone, the kunoichi turned her full attention to Sasuke. The young Uchiha shifted, a bit uncomfortable with the stare—just a bit. "You can lie down now." Sasuke hesitantly did so. Something was… off about the kunoichi. He just couldn't put his finger on it at the moment. Mayu hurriedly moved over to her teammate, using her knees. She lightly and slowly slid her fingers up right arm. The shinobi had to stop himself from shivering. "I'll start with your arms, and then move on to your back, alright?"

"_Mm_." Then she began the massage, pinching at the skin of his arm. It wasn't unpleasant at all. Her rough hands felt nice. As she told him, she gradually worked her way to his back. Admittedly, it was relaxing. Mayu had been right. He didn't feel so tense anymore. Though, the thought of her leaving was still at the back of his mind. Just as his mind began to drift to that man, the massage was suddenly accompanied by his teammate straddling his behind. Instantly, his body went rigid. "What are you doing?" he asked, craning his neck to look at her.

"Calm down. This makes it easier to touch you," she replied nonchalantly. "And I do like touching you."

"Wh-What?"

Before he knew it, Sasuke was on his back staring incredulously up at the kunoichi above him. Her teeth showed in a smirk. "What do I do? Now that I have you alone, I don't want to hold back anymore," Mayu whispered. This was not real. This was not happening. He must have dozed off in the middle of the massage. She leaned down, eyelids lowering. Her face stopped only mere centimeters away from his. "Should I make sure the entire island knows my name?" Sasuke could not believe this was happening. Her implication was enough to cause a reaction in his body. Her licking her lips didn't help either. He tried to speak, but Mayu brought a finger to his parted lips. "_Shh_~ Let me enjoy the moment." She closed her eyes, running her fingers up and down his torso. Her index fingers circled his nipples. "_Ahhh_… yeah…" Hastily, she was thrown off before the shinobi scurried off, nearly screaming that he needed to alone.

Mayu crossed her arms, pouting.

0-0

"NARUTO!"

The blond shinobi turned his head to the right only to be tackled to the ground by an oncoming Uchiha. The two tumbled about. Gradually, their movement to untangle themselves transformed into wrestling. For about five minutes, they grappled until Naruto had had enough. "What the _hell_ is wrong with you, Sasuke?!" he shouted once he got his teammate in a chokehold. The Uchiha only grunted loudly until Naruto released him. The two teens glared at one another as their panting decreased to normal breathing. "You just don't go and tackle people who are running! Damn it!" He grabbed at his throbbing skull. The dull pain would fade in a moment, though.

"I…" Sasuke cleared his throat. He grimaced. "I panicked, alright!"

"_What_ are you _talking_ about?" Naruto loudly and impatiently asked. And so his best friend explained. The blond could only blink, completely stunned. This was the first time he had seen Sasuke… _flustered_—awkward even. After his was finished explaining, the Uchiha sat, hands covering his face. He had complained that he didn't know what to do. As he had talked, Naruto came to the conclusion that Mayu's behavior had to do with what Haku had slipped her. The plan had been set in motion already. It wouldn't be long before the kunoichi completely lost the ability to control herself around Sasuke. He had known she had said _who_ instead of _what_! But anyway, his friend was desperate for advice. "I thought you _liked_ her?"

"I _do_!" Sasuke retorted, glaring at him.

"Then _what's_ the problem?" Naruto crossed his arms. "You said Kakashi-sensei told you about the _Kunai and the Shuriken_, right?" Stiffly, his best friend nodded his head in confirmation. "You like Mayu, and Mayu obviously likes you! I don't understand why you ran away!"

"I didn't run away!" he protested. Naruto raised a brow and frowned. "It… It was a strategic retreat! Look! It's just… It doesn't _feel _right, okay? It's definitely her, but I didn't think it was going to be like this. It's like she only wants my body."

"I should smack you right now."

"Shut the fuck up," Sasuke retorted. "I don't _want_ her to want my body. That's not _her_! She was the only girl that wanted to like me for me, not because of my name or my abilities. It's weird that all of a sudden she wants to _shag_ me."

"… Maybe this is how she act towards a person she likes in that way," Naruto suggested. "I mean, we don't actually _know_ since she's never liked a person before, right?" Reluctantly, his best friend agreed. "Well, tell her you like her, and then _let it happen_. Trust me, you'll thank me later." Sasuke still looked uncomfortable. It caused Naruto to feel a bit guilty about what he and Haku had planned. What if this was a bad idea, after all? He mentally shook his head. This plan was for Sasuke. He needed it, and so it had to be done. In the back of his mind, Naruto felt somewhat indebted to his best friend. He couldn't explain why he felt that way, though. Hopefully, this would quench that feeling.

0-0

"Have a safe trip," Haku waved. "Come back real soon, alright?"

"Okay…!" Mayu was the only one who responded and waved back. It was a little after six o'clock and the sun had begun to set. The journey home would be a pleasant one. At least that's what the kunoichi was thinking. If the journey had such awesome scenery then she'd be set. She bit her lower lip as she stared unabashedly at her teammate's backside. Of course, there were other parts of him, like those muscled arms of his. He had taken to wearing dark sleeveless shirts after that idol fiasco. The only reason her teammates couldn't see the stare or drool washer lecherous stare was because they were all walking ahead of her, even her uncle. For that, Mayu was grateful. She could stare, drool, and fantasize in peace. The young kunoichi released a low dreamy sigh as she continued to undress Sasuke with her eyes.

_Mmmm._

Mayu straightened her back, wiping the hint of drool away as she did. She blinked in slight puzzlement. She wondered what had happened. Most likely, the cause of her sudden thought process had to do with her hormones. It had all started with that dream. And now she was projecting those feelings onto her sexy teammate. The kunoichi furrowed her eyebrows, trying to figure out _something_ to explain this. However, it was quite the hard thing to accomplish. Her mind seemed to always drift to thoughts of making Sasuke scream her name. _Mmmm_. It was all very strange. A warm feeling suddenly washed over Mayu, causing her face to become flush. "What the hell...?" the kunoichi murmured. Her comrades seemed unaware of her whisper and continued to walk, unknowingly leaving her behind. What was the point of just thinking these things? That was only one way to find out if the Uchiha was a screamer. Action.

Still, there were obstacles in her way. One: there were her teammates. Two: there was her uncle. The things she wanted to do to—with, whatever—Sasuke should not be seen or heard by them, especially her uncle. That would be horrifyingly embarrassing. "Mayu-chan...!" her uncle's voice caused the teen's head to snap up. Her blue eyes saw that he stopped. "What's the matter?" The kunoichi blinked, and then stepped forward.

"Oh, nothing…!" she responded, picking up her pace. "Nothing at all." She had reached her uncle.

"_Hm_… Well, don't lollygag. You'll get left behind," Morino stated, and then continued to walk.

During this time, the other three males didn't stop their walk. Thinking nothing of it, Mayu nodded, and then proceeded to follow her uncle. A pleasant smile appeared on her face and a small giggle escaped her lips. Ishikari Morino was none the wiser. Her blue eyes shifted over to Sasuke's back again. He, as well as Naruto and Sai, were walking slightly farther away. Another giggle erupted from Mayu's mouth. _"I'm gonna make you scream, Uchiha Sasuke, long and hard!"_ she thought with a grin.

A shiver suddenly went up Sasuke's back.

Naruto noticed his teammate's wide-eyed look. He raised an eyebrow as the Uchiha shuddered, and then continued walking as if whatever just happened didn't happen. "_Oi_…! What's up with you?" he asked. Sai looked over to his teammate as well.

"It's nothing… I just felt a chill," the Uchiha answered.

"_Che_… I guess the endurance training isn't really working for you, Uchiha," Naruto grinned. "Getting shivers from a cool breeze… What a wimp!"

"Go fuck yourself," Sasuke replied, narrowing his eyes.

"I don't believe that she is aware that we're ignoring her yet," Sai stated before Naruto could respond.

"Well, it has only been fifteen minutes," Naruto said thoughtfully. He glanced back at Mayu and her uncle. "Actually, the whole group has been quiet since we left Haku."

Sasuke frowned as his eyebrows knitted together. He didn't like Haku's plan; that much was obvious. Sure, he had ignored Mayu in the past, but he didn't love her as he did now. Now, he loved her and he had the added weight of hormones on his shoulders. Beside the hormones, there was Ishikari Morino. The older man hadn't accepted him as he had initially thought. Thinking of all these things led Sasuke to believe that his life was not fair. He suddenly blinked. Someone was calling him.

"Sasuke…!" it was Mayu's voice.

The Uchiha looked towards her voice. The girl was walking beside him. Her deep blue eyes seemed to be clouded over. And that crooked smile on her face… What was that about? It appeared as if Mayu was drunk. Even her face was flushed! But she couldn't be drunk… In many ways, it looked as if Mayu was a treacherous panther, readying to jump on an unsuspecting victim.

"What is it…?" Sasuke asked, turning his eyes away from the girl. He heard Naruto cough loudly. Oh, right… The conversation between himself and Naruto had had crossed his mind. The Uchiha mentally shook his head. Why was Mayu behaving this way? And why so suddenly…? It still didn't make sense to him. Could Mayu be the type of person who would suddenly realize something like her feelings, and then act accordingly based on that? On second thought, yeah, she was that type of person. She liked facts. And if it was a fact that she _liked_ him, then she wasn't going to deny it.

"Jeez, Sasuke…! I've been trying to get your attention for the past fifteen minutes!" Mayu exclaimed, and then in a much lower voice. "Anyway, did you know that I like your scent the most?" Sasuke nearly choked on spit. He blinked rapidly, wondering if he had heard right. Well, she had previously stated that she thought he smelled _nice_. She had even said so with a straight face as though it was… only a fact. So Naruto had been right after all? Now that he thought about it, the girl was brutally honest sometimes. Mayu smiled. "I've been wondering something."

Confused, the Uchiha turned to his teammate to see that her eyes were looking straight ahead. She didn't even glance at him. Sasuke swallowed the lump in his throat. "What?" he asked.

"If you smell this good, then do you taste this good?" Mayu continued. This time, she turned to look at Sasuke. The Uchiha stopped, causing her to stop as well. He opened his mouth to give a response, but he was still a little bit confused, and maybe a bit delusional. To the rest of the group, Mayu looked as she was whispering in Sasuke's ear. To them, she was just telling him a little secret. But Sasuke knew better. He knew that Mayu was not whispering. Instead, she _licked_ his ear. And after smacking his butt, she moved forward, giggling lightly at his shocked expression. "What do you know…? You do," she smirked. "Nice ass, by the way."

Sasuke watched Mayu moved further away from him, trying to catch up with the rest of the group. He, once again, swallowed a lump in his throat. He had been able to suppress naughty thoughts about Mayu when she was near. He believed it was quite the talent, actually. But what was he supposed to do after she had done_ that_ to him? This was incredible…! She hadn't needed her memories, after all. She had grown to like him regardless of their memories. It made him happy, but at the same time… _"Haku's plan…"_ he thought. _"Her uncle…"_After years of thinking about Ishikari Mayu, she had finally took the initiative. This was the beginning of being… _intimate_ with the girl who he was in love with. Hugging, kissing, touching—he wouldn't have to hold back anymore. Even if the plan didn't work, he would still _have_ Mayu.

Sasuke actually smiled at what was to come.

0-0

"Okay, this looks a good place to stop for the night," Morino started. He turned to his eyes back to the four other travelers. "If we stop now, we won't tire out from walking. This way, we'll be rested and prepared for an attack."

"Yeah," Mayu nodded. "That guy will probably come back." She set her bag down near a tree's roots.

"I'll get the firewood," Sai volunteered.

"That's okay, Sai-chan, I'll…" Mayu trailed off only because the pale ninja had already walked off. "Fine… I'll get-"

"I'll take care of food," Naruto spoke up, interrupting the kunoichi in the process. Her eyebrow twitched, but before she could say anything, the blond of her team walked away.

"I guess I'll make dinner once they return," Mayu muttered, frowning.

"That's alright, Mayu-chan, I'll do it," Morino stated, sitting with his back against a tree. Mayu's face lit up.

"You'll make your special stew?" she asked.

"Sure… but I need more ingredients than meat," Morino answered.

"Haku gave me some carrots and potatoes before we left!" Mayu told him. "I could go find some the other things, and I saw a river not too far from here." The older ninja rubbed his chin, and then agreed. "This is going to be awesome! Just like old times!" She began walking away from the campsite, beckoning Sasuke to follow her. "Come help me, sweet cheeks." The Uchiha obliged quickly.

Morino watched the two go, a frown graced his face. He didn't like the idea of his precious niece and that Uchiha, going off somewhere, _alone_. But then again, he knew that Mayu's mind was now on dinner. So it was a good idea to send someone with her. In case of an attack, of course… Morino knew that once Mayu's mind was preoccupied with his stew, nothing else mattered, not even bombs blowing up in her face. The older man sighed. After all, she was too much like her grandmother.

0-0

"Sasuke… I have a question," Mayu spoke up. It was the first words that came from her mouth since they started looking for the river that she had mentioned before. It had been five minutes since the two had left the designated campsite. Sasuke had been stealing glances at his companion for those five minutes. He instantly straightened up when Mayu addressed him. Hoping she didn't notice, the shinobi told her to continue. But then again, Mayu had been the one to lick his ear. Oh no, Sasuke didn't forget about _that_. There was no way that he would! That was almost two hours ago and she had yet to do anything else as… sensual as that. Now that they were alone again, the possibilities of what _could_ happen were endless! "Did I… do something wrong?" Mayu asked.

"Something wrong…?" Sasuke repeated, confused. "What do you mean?"

"… Well, usually Naruto is chatting up a storm with me. Sai-chan is usually asking me questions about relationships," the kunoichi began. "But now, it seems like they're both giving me the cold shoulder. Naruto even interrupted me, that ass…! He should know better by now! Anyway, I was just wondering if I did something to upset them." She stopped walking. Sasuke stood beside her; he raised an eyebrow. She had noticed, then? When exactly _did_ she start to notice her teammates' behavior? Mayu turned to Sasuke, causing him to do the same to her. "Even you…" she continued with a puckered brow. "You're not exactly giving me the cold shoulder, but… you seem more aloof. Your facial expressions… I can barely read them anymore."

"I'm sure it's nothing," Sasuke responded after a pause. "Those two probably don't want to make a bad impression on your uncle by doing what they usually do. It'll pass."

"_Oh_… What about you, though?" Mayu asked. "You tend to not care what others think of you. I don't need my memories to know that." Sasuke had to smirk. His little cocoon knew all about him. "What's with the smirk?" The kunoichi narrowed her eyes slightly. He raised his hand. It now rested on Mayu's cheek. His thumb stroked it gently. She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip.

"Mayu, it's your uncle. That man is the last living relative of yours that I have to impress," Sasuke told her. Slowly, his hand fell. "If I seem weird to you, it's because… I don't know how to act."

"They don't have to do that. _You_ definitely don't have to do that," she replied. She had moved closer. Her two steps forward almost made Sasuke move backwards. He forced himself not to. Mayu glanced around before closing the space between them. His eyes widened. Her arms were around him. She had lifted herself on the tip of her toes to press a chaste kiss to the corner of his lips. She smiled. "_I've_ already been impressed. That's enough."

"Mayu…"

Before he could continue, he noticed a change in the girl's demeanor. A gleam he had seen once before appeared in her eyes. Hypnotic, alluring, deadly—those were the words that entered his mind as he stared at the kunoichi. She smirked. Mayu jumped on him, taking them both to the ground. Wide-eyed, Sasuke could only stare at the girl above him. Unlike before, she had this wild look on her face. "Don't try to hide it." She purposely moved her body up and down his. He nearly choked as she continued. "You're so excited." She leaned down, lips near his ear. "I'mma make you my bitch." Again, Naruto's words echoed in Sasuke's mind. _Let it happen_, he had urged. And so, he decided that he would. It was still _her_. He lifted his arms and encircled them around Mayu's waist. Turning his head, his lips met hers.

At first, the kiss was slow and hesitant—almost awkward. However, Mayu became comfortable with her lips against his soon enough. She reared her head back, only for a moment, and then kissed him again. She opened her mouth wider, forcing his open as well. Sasuke felt her tongue's tip against his. As the kiss became _more_, her fingers became entangled in his hair. The slow movements gradually transformed into fast eager movement. The two teens rolled several times on the ground. When they came to a stop, Mayu was still on top. She broke off the kiss in need of air. Panting softly, her nose and mouth rested against the side of Sasuke's neck. "That was…" He, too, panted, trying to get his breathing under control again. He couldn't even explain it. Feeling her warm breath against his skin caused him to shiver. He felt burning and freezing. Light and heavy. Dizzy even. It was like the first time had Orochimaru had him use drugs to enhance his capabilities, but five times that feeling.

Mayu sat up on top on of, and then her hands found his. She slowly guided his hands up her body, letting his palms cup her breasts. As if he weren't already blushing mad, his cheeks increased in heat. Sasuke couldn't help but think of the first time he had laid his hand in this area, though it was an accident—and that body wasn't hers. This time, it wasn't nearly as awkward. Once she no longer needed to coax him into stroking, she released his hands and lowered herself again for another kiss. However, she didn't quite make it. Eyes widening, she reared back. Her nostrils flared, signaling that her nose had caught a scent. Sasuke sat up as well, lustful thoughts gone for the moment. He, too, looked around, attempting to spot an enemy. "It's probably just another traveler," Mayu murmured. "I can't recognize the scent." She turned her focus back to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "We'll continue this later, alright?"

"_Mm_," Sasuke nodded his head, and then kissed her. Several times. With hands roaming her body. _"__Mmmm…" _Mayu pulled away from him, grin stretched on her face.

"We'd better get back to the others, though," she suggested. "Next time, they'll be no escape."

"It goes both ways," Sasuke stated once he had become composed. The two teens were slow to stand up. Even slower at getting back to camp, where they were scolded harshly for forgetting about their task.

0-0

A man stood behind a tree with a horrified expression on his face. Though, it wasn't visible because of the mask he was wearing. After a few moments, he slowly peeked out from his hiding place. The two teens were gone. The man breathed a sigh of relief. "_Ew_…! They were about to do the nasty in a forest!" he exclaimed, waving his arms about. His black cloak flapped in the wind. It had red clouds for the design. Someone else landed on the ground near the man. He spun around.

"Tobi, what the fuck are you doing here, un?" the blond grumbled.

"Sempai…!" the man known as Tobi exclaimed. He rushed to give the man a hug, only to get kicked back.

"Don't touch me!" the blond hissed. "Answer my question, _un_!"

"There's been a change in plans!" Tobi announced, rubbing his sore chest. "Leader-sama says that there's no need to kill that man, anymore."

"What?! Why?!"

"He said something like he didn't trust to not to make a mess," the masked man stated. "He'll send someone else at a later time. Right now, he needs us to capture a bijuu." Deidara sighed heavily, mostly annoyed. "We're supposed to head out now."

"This is so fucking perfect, un!"

"So Tobi's a good boy for telling you, right?"

"Don't make me kill you."

"But, sempaaaaii…!" Tobi began in a whiny voice.

"Don't you dare, _un_!"

0-0

Haku yawned heavily as he pulled back the floorboard. He had just awoken from his slumber and that meant he had to throw away some secret things before his guests returned. He pulled several small vials out of the floor as he yawned again. That's when his eyes zoned in on one of the vials. "Warning, this antidote is so that she or he will remember the perverted things that may happen after taking my remedy. Without this antidote, the person will not remember anything that they did. Also, if my remedy will wear off faster than normal if mixed with another liquid. Times may vary depending on what it was mixed with…" Haku read out loud. "Give antidote quickly to avoid hangovers, high fever, nausea, cold sweats, shivers, numbness, dizziness, and aching. If the person who has taken the remedy is far away, I guess the one whose hair was used is SOL, huh?"

Haku blinked, rubbed his eyes, and then blinked again.

"_Hm_," he stared at the label. "Did _not_ see that..."

0-0

"Mayu-chan… Mayu-chan, wake up! It's time to go," Morino shook his niece. She was all wrapped up in a blanket. "Mayu-chan, what's wrong with you?" The kunoichi's response was pulling the blanket closer to her body and releasing trembling breaths. Her three teammates stared down at her body. Her face was flushed and sweating profusely. She groaned loudly, curling up into a ball. Morino stood up, looking confused. He didn't understand. Mayu was just fine last night. Now it was morning, and his niece looked absolutely horrible. Sasuke crouched down near his teammate and poked what he thought was her abdomen.

"_Oi_…! Mayu?" he tried to get her attention. Blue eyes slowly opened to meet the dark eyes of the Uchiha. "Are you alright?"

After a few moments of silence, Mayu finally replied. "Don't touch my boob again… in public," she said in a tired voice. Sasuke almost blushed. "And shut up while you're at it. My head is killing me because it's pounding against my skull, so I'd appreciate if there were no loud noises."

"Is she… sick?" Naruto asked.

"No, I'm not sick," Mayu retorted. "I feel fine."

She rolled over, and then stood. She tried to, at least. Mayu ended up stumbling into Sai. She groaned as she slid down the pale ninja's body. Luckily, Sai caught her before she fell to the ground. He positioned so that she was easier to carry; bridal style. "She is sick," he stated. "Her body is very warm, she's sweating, and shaking so much that it's hard to keep her in my arms."

"_Oh_, I'm going to puke…!" Mayu groaned, turning her head.

"And she's feeling nauseas."

"In other words," Sasuke began, standing. "She's in no condition to fight if it comes down to it." Sai shifted Mayu in his arms. "How far away is our village?"

"If we leave now, we'll reach Konoha in a day," Morino answered.

"I don't think we can wait that long," Naruto commented. "Mayu needs help now!"

"Our best bet is to go back to Haku," Sasuke said. "We should reach his village before noon."

He picked up Mayu's things and placed them in her bag. It was quite a coincidence that Mayu got sick in the middle of the night. But it went along with Haku's plan quite nicely. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. Maybe it was Haku that had something to do with Mayu's sudden illness? Would Haku actually do that? Just for a plan that was only _almost_ foolproof…? "Let's head out," Naruto said. The other males nodded, and then leaped away.

0-0


	25. The Meaning Behind Family

"Set her down there," Haku instructed. Sasuke had been right when he said that they would reach Haku's village before noon. Unfortunately, Mayu had not stopped her shivering since. Sai slowly laid his teammate's body down on the futon Haku had put out. "Sasuke-kun, please get some ice. Naruto-kun, I need you to get a few empty bags from the kitchen, so I can put the ice in." The two shinobi nodded, and then went to carry out their tasks.

"What can I do?" Morino asked. Haku tore his eyes away from Mayu's body and focused on the uncle. He stared for a few moments before speaking.

"The best thing that you can do right now is leave the room," he answered. Morino looked slightly offended.

"But she's my niece! I can't just-"

"And that's why you must leave. As Mayu-san's family member, you probably won't like what I will do to her to ensure that her health returns," Haku interrupted, moving his eyes back to ill kunoichi. "You will only get in the way. Please leave now."

Sai remained silent as he watched this interaction. His dark eyes moved from Haku to Morino several times before the older Ishikari finally left. The pale ninja listened to his departing footsteps until he could no longer hear them. "Haku-san… Was this a part of the plan?" he asked. The older male took a quick glance at Sai.

"To tell the truth… no… I had no idea this was going to happen," he answered. "Mayu-san was not supposed to be sick." Sai nodded, though Haku couldn't see. The man knelt down next to Mayu and removed her headband. He was going to have to get her fever down before giving her the antidote. She was sweating profusely by now. "Where are those two?" Haku murmured. As if on cue, Naruto and Sasuke entered the room carrying bags, filled with ice; three bags each. Haku gestured the two over and told them to set the bags down near Mayu; of course, they did as they were told. They, including Sai, knelt down on the other side of Mayu's body. She was breathing heavily at this point. Not wasting another moment, Haku began to work. His hands grabbed the front of her top and ripped it open. Sasuke's eyebrow twitched at this action, but didn't say anything, figuring the older knew what he was doing.

His eyebrow twitched again when Haku's hands starting roaming up and down her upper body. Sure, he didn't touch her 'goodies,' but it was still unnerving. Sasuke believed that only he was allowed to touch those. "Is that really necessary…?!" Naruto spoke up, sounding slightly annoyed. Sasuke silently agreed with his teammate's question. Haku deliberately ignored the question and moved his hands down to Mayu's legs. His hands were already wet from the sweat from her torso.

"Has Mayu-san eaten within the last twelve hours?"

"She ate stew before we went to sleep," Sai stated.

"Maybe she picked up something bad for the soup. Those mushrooms did look a little nasty," Naruto added.

"If that were the case, then we'd all be sick," Sai commented. Naruto sent him a quick glare, and then returned his eyes to Mayu.

"_That's not good… That means I have to wait awhile before giving it to her,"_ Haku thought, frowning. "For the time being, we have to keep Mayu-san's body cool," he said out loud. Shaking his head, he grabbed two of the bags of ice. He placed them against Mayu's sides. The girl shivered and moved her body. Haku held her in place. "Sai-san, could you please place the other two on her legs?" he asked. The pale ninja nodded, and then did as he was told. Of course, Mayu flinched and kicked at the coldness. "Naruto-kun, place another bag on her forehead."

"Right," he said, picking up one bag and placing it over Mayu's head. A sharp gasp escaped the girl's lips. Her face twisted into a grimace. Haku placed the last bag at the side of her neck. The shivered again as she turned her head. Naruto struggled to keep the bag in place. "So… is Mayu unconscious?" he asked.

"If she were unconscious, then she wouldn't be able to feel the ice," Haku answered. "She's most likely in a dreamless slumber." Mayu suddenly groaned and her body jerked.

"You damn im-imposters…! Give them back…"

Three pairs of eyes blinked, and then turned to Haku.

"But then again…" he said, chuckling nervously.

"So how long is this going to take?" Naruto asked. Haku sighed softly. This was a factor that wasn't in his plans. Sure, it was a nice excuse to come back to the village, but Mayu was never supposed to be in _this_ state. He would have to let him know now. Haku took a glance at Sasuke before focusing on Mayu's body again.

"I'm afraid her body temperature must go down before I give her anything," he answered. "Judging from her temperature now, I'd say it will only take about fifteen minutes. Any longer than that and she might get hypothermia. After that, we have to wait a little while longer before I can treat her properly with actual medicine."

"How do you know what to give her, Haku-san?" Sai asked.

"Assuming that it wasn't something she consumed, it's safe to say that something entered her body another way," he commented. "There were no bite marks on her body, so we can rule out poison from an insect, or any animal. The only other option is that she inhaled something that's making her sick. Perhaps she is allergic to something all of you are not. Maybe it's only allergies. I'm not really sure myself. What I am sure of is that I know what I'm doing. Rest assured… your teammate is in safe hands." Naruto sighed in relief. Spoken like a true healer, he thought. Of course Haku knew what he was doing. The ice user could be trusted with Mayu.

Said ice user suddenly stood and walked towards the door. As he walked away, he told Sai to keep the bag on top of her head. "Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun, could you please come with me?" he asked. The Uchiha blinked in slight confusion before standing. He momentarily looked at Mayu, and then went after Haku. The blond, however, grimaced, suddenly gaining a sense of dread. Still, he followed after his teammate and host, leaving Sai behind.

The two Leaf shinobi continued to follow Haku right out of the house. They had exited through the kitchen, passing Ishikari Morino on the way out. The older man watched the three as they left, eyes narrowed in suspicion. He wondered why they had to leave the house all of a sudden. In his travels, he learned that a healer should nearly never leave their patients. He pushed himself from the wall he was leaning against. His left ear twitched when he heard the door close. Deciding that he should stalk them, he waited a few moments before doing so.

0-0

"So what do you want to talk about?" Sasuke asked, crossing his arms. He looked at the surrounding area. Haku had led him away from his house. The three males now stood in the small forest behind their host's home. Blue eyes curiously looked around, taking in the area. The Uchiha almost nodded his head in approval. Naruto wasn't the same oblivious ninja he had been in the past.

Haku finally turned, facing the two ninja. "I… have a question for you," he began. His statement was obviously focused on Sasuke. He raised a brow, yet nodded his head, signaling for Haku to continue. None of them noticed the presence of another. Ishikari Morino's back was pressed against a broad tree branch just above the two. His hands were locked behind his head and his eyes were closed. Of course he was planning on listening. "Did anything… _happen_ between you and Mayu-san while you were gone?" A pink tint suddenly appeared on Sasuke's cheeks as his eyes seemed to transform into smiles.

"_Maaaaaybeee_…!"

A sweat drop appeared slid down the back of Haku's head. A nervous grin tugged at his lips. Naruto's expression matched perfectly. He even took a step away from his best friend's side. It wasn't hard to guess with _that_ type of response. The ice user was still a little surprised that the Uchiha could behave this way. "You must have liked it a lot, _huh_?" Naruto asked. The Uchiha cleared his throat and crossed his arms, neutral expression returning.

"Why do you ask?" Sasuke muttered. To his surprise, both Naruto and Haku averted their gazes to the ground. They looked… almost guilty. "Did… Did you do something?" Haku didn't answer. Neither did Naruto. "Naruto, start talking."

"Look—just hear me out," he began.

"To put it bluntly, if something _did_ happen, Mayu-san no longer has any memory of it," Haku continued, leaving Naruto no room for explanation. Ishikari Morino slowly opened his eyes. Judging from what Haku had said, he realized that the older teen and blond ninja had done something to his niece. And because of that, Mayu was now sick. He wasn't sure exactly what they did, but it was enough to keep the Uchiha speechless. In fact, the teen still hadn't replied. "Mayu-san… She doesn't remember if anything happened between you two. Before the five of you left, I gave her a potion. It was most likely the potion that caused her to behave differently."

Naruto warily watched his best friend, whom had lowered his head. His gaze seemed fixated on the grass. But he couldn't be sure because his eyes were no longer visible. Though he couldn't see his friend's dark eyes, he could clearly see the frown. He had known this was going to happen. After a wild time, the stuff would wear off and Mayu wouldn't remember anything. He thought that would enjoy his time would his crush and gain the courage to actually tell her at a later time. Like a practice run. Pervy Sage had done the same with him a couple times—not situations like this—and it worked. But… Mayu getting sick hadn't been a part of the plan at all. "Naruto, you had something to do with this…?" Sasuke finally spoke, which only made the blond flinch. His best friend did not lift his head. Reluctantly, Naruto admitted to his involvement. He looked away, feeling suddenly ashamed. "Why…?" Sasuke asked after a bit of silence. The blond grit his teeth. "_Why_?!"The Uchiha asked in a much louder voice. Naruto flinched. "Tell me…! Why did you _trick_ me?!"

"I didn't…" Naruto trailed off when he saw the intense glare being directed at him. He opted to try again. "What I did—it wasn't meant as a trick, Sasuke."

_SMACK_

"Then why the fuck did you do something like this?!" The Uchiha had back-handed his friend, causing the blond teen to stumble. His eyes were wide in slight shock. Although it wasn't expected, he knew that he somewhat deserved it. At least it wasn't a punch, he reasoned. He slowly turned back to Sasuke, whom was now yanking at his hair in aggravation. "How can you be so _stupid_?!"

"I…" Naruto reached up to touch his red cheek. He briefly thought that his best friend and his female teammate were becoming similar in how they chose to punish him. Mayu liked to back-hand those that annoyed her, too.

"It felt like—like I no longer had to restrain myself when around her." Sasuke's voice dropped as he looked towards the ground again. His arm fell to the side. "And now you're telling me that Mayu's actions last night weren't her own and she can't even remember it either? Do you have any idea how that feels, Naruto?"

"I just… wanted to help!" he protested. "We're nowhere near figuring out what her trigger word is, so I thought if I gave you a sneak peek then you'd try harder to-"

"Try _harder_?! You think I've been bullshitting this whole time?!"

"No, I just-"

"_Shut_ up!" Sasuke nearly growled. Naruto snapped his mouth close. "An incentive like this is meaningless. Being lied to and fake feelings aren't incentives, especially when it's snatched away just when I'm actually enjoying it." Honestly, the blond hadn't thought about it in that way. Sasuke sighed, rubbing two fingers against his temple. "Is this illness a side effect of whatever you gave her?"

"Yes," Haku was the one to answer. Dark eyes slid in his direction. "Please do not worry. There is an antidote and it will be given to Mayu-san. However, there is something you should know." Sasuke frowned, obviously irritated with this way of beating around the bush. "The sickness will disappear and everything will be as it was before she ingested the potion. Only her memories will return. She will remember the actions between you and herself."

It became quiet after Haku finished speaking. Why, the chirping of birds even seemed to stop. Ishikari Morino blinked. Straining his ears, he heard a strangled laugh come from Sasuke's mouth. _"I see. I may not know what happened between my niece and that boy, but whatever it was, it must've been something Mayu-chan would never do, considering her relationship,"_ Morino thought, staring up at the green leaves of the tree. _"He must know her more than I originally thought."_ The older Ishikari narrowed his eyes. He had discovered something valuable in their intense conversation. His niece had another set of memories locked away. Apparently, the little Uchiha wanted to find out the word, which blocked those memories. Something had happened between them in their past—something important enough to make the boy's best friend to take drastic measures.

"So killing me was your plan all along, huh?" Sasuke chuckled. But it was one of those 'it's the end of the world and I feel fine,' sort of chuckles. "Because that's what's going to happen to me. I'm going to die when she realizes-" he _almost_ smirked. "-what happened last night." Naruto gasped suddenly.

"Sasuke, I had no idea! You're _impure_ now, aren't you?" he asked, pointing.

"Don't say things like that," Sasuke replied in a flat voice. "So, is there anything else you wanna tell me before I _die_?" He walked off slowly, indirectly telling Haku and Naruto that they could get close. There was no use in being angry with his best friend. His intentions had been relatively good, after all. The ice user read his body language and smiled; he fell into step with the Uchiha. Naruto did the same, sensing it was okay.

"Nothing else, really," Haku shrugged. "However, I suppose I should wish you a safe journey on your way to the afterlife."

"Haku, you think this is funny, don't you?" Naruto questioned.

"A little bit," he answered truthfully, earning glares from both Leaf ninja.

Morino listened to their fading voices. He didn't move until he could no longer hear the bickering. He sat up and let one leg hang over the side of the tree branch. He shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes. Placing the tip of one in his mouth, he put the carton away and took out a metal lighter. He flipped open the silver lighter and lit the fire. It wasn't long before smoke exited his mouth. His blue eyes stared into the distance. They weren't really focusing on anything. It was only aimless staring. He pulled the cigarette from his mouth and held it in between two fingers. _"That boy seems to have real feelings for my precious niece… I suppose that's a step in the right direction. Looks like the Uchiha is getting lucky,"_ Morino thought. He bit down on the filter. _"But that luck won't get him far."_

0-0

"Ne, Sasuke-kun…" Haku began. The Uchiha looked towards his host. The three did not stop their walk. They had returned home and were currently walking towards the room where Sai and Mayu were. "Is she really going to kill you?" Sasuke looked slightly confused. "Mayu-san, I mean. She won't really do that, right?"

"_Hm_… No, not kill," Sasuke answered. "I admit that I exaggerated a bit. Mayu won't kill me. Beat me to a pulp, perhaps, but not kill." Haku frowned. He knew already that their relationship was complex, but it really hoped that wasn't the way they showed affection.

"Mayu-san cares for you a great deal. Would she really beat you up?" Haku sounded incredulous. Sasuke and Naruto shook their heads. Poor naïve Haku. He was lucky that he didn't have someone like Ishikari Mayu around.

"Yes, she would. She already has a mean left hook," Naruto commented. "She's crazy scary when she's mad! Only a complete dumbass would dare to purposely piss her off." A flat looked appeared on Sasuke's face, knowing full well that he had done such petty things when they were younger, just to see her reaction. Still worth it.

_WHAM_

Instinctively, the three males jumped back just as the door to the room ruptured outwards. Automatically, Sasuke's hand was on the hilt of his sword. Almost a second later, he relaxed. Haku only blinked at the sight of Sai. His pale body slid down the wall. He groaned in pain. "What in the world happened?" Haku asked. Sai shook his head to rid himself of dizziness.

"Oh, you're ba-back," he stated with a smile.

"Sai, what happened?" Sasuke asked.

His pale teammate struggled to stand, clutching his abdomen. "Queen finally woke up-" he coughed. "She immediately lashed out at me. If she weren't in this state, perhaps I would need medical attention?" Haku continued to stare, wondering how he could keep that smile on his face after being attacked by his own teammate. "I'm assuming that she jumped to conclusions and attacked even in her weak state."

"Either that or she's angry with you," Haku murmured slowly. Sai finally stood to his full height as the host examined the damaged. He cringed as the rest of the sliding door came off. "So, when the times comes, who wants to give Mayu-san the medicine?" he asked cheerfully. The ice user was met with 'yeah right' stares. It was silent for a few seconds. In that few seconds, a human growl came from the room.

"One, two, three… Not it!" Naruto started.

"Not it."

"Not it!"

"Not—_damn_ it!" Sasuke grumbled.

0-0

Haku came out of the room, causing three heads to look up. Mayu's teammates stood up straight. "How is she?" Naruto was the first to speak.

"She's doing a lot better. Her fever has gone down, she no longer feels dizzy or nauseous," Haku answered. He held a small damp towel. "Also, her sweating—I think she's stopped. All there is left to do is… give her the medicine."

"Is she still… ya know… _growling_?" Sasuke asked. He was slightly apprehensive. And why shouldn't he be? Earlier, Mayu had hit him without a reason, and then told all of them to 'get the fuck outta here!' Except Haku, of course… He was the only one allowed to get close. This was slightly annoying as hell.

"Mayu-san has calmed down," Haku answered. "I'm going to get the antidote now. When I get back, you can give it to her, Sasuke."

The Uchiha nodded his head. The ice user walked away from the three. "Queen must've have figured out that we've been ignoring her," Sai suddenly spoke up. His two other teammates looked at him in surprised. "But what puzzles me is how she is handling it." Sasuke and Naruto stared in silence. "I believe that I know her well enough now to predict the way she responds to certain things… I'm sure you two have realized that this isn't how she would normally react."

"You're right," Naruto agreed. "Unless she really doesn't realize that we've been ignoring her—Mayu would have said something by now."

"She hit us, that's for sure, but she didn't tell us why," Sasuke mused, closing his eyes. "Now that I think about it that is strange. She's the type that explains why she's beating the crap out of you _as_ she's beating the crap out of you. Or afterwards." Sai nodded his head in agreement, remembering the first time he had been on the receiving end of Mayu's punch.

"You don't think she's mad at us just for the hell of it, do you?" Naruto asked.

"Who knows…" Sasuke sighed heavily. "She could be PMSing."

"No," Sai stated as if it were a scientific fact. The two males looked at him. Both seemed to be skeptical by how certain he had sounded.

"Why do you sound like you know that for sure?" Naruto asked, slowly.

"She has already had her period for this month."

"…"

"…"

"So it couldn't be that she's having the Pre-Menstrual Syndrome…" Sai explained. The two teammates only looked at him if he were crazy. "What is it…?" he asked, genuinely confused by their expressions.

"… How do you know that?" Sasuke asked.

"Did you _ask_ her?!" Naruto demanded to know.

"Don't be ridiculous," Sai smiled. "I wanted to, but Kakashi-san advised me that it wasn't a good idea to ask a female about their bodies. I figured it out by myself."

Naruto sucked in a breath, and then released it after a few moments. He slung around his pale teammate. "You are _one_ creepy bastard," he poked his chest; Sai just looked confused. "… A creepy bastard with helpful info, I admit, but a creepy bastard nonetheless." He poked him again.

"Will you stop being gay for a minute," Sasuke rolled his eyes. Naruto glared at his teammate as he, with speed, took his arm away from Sai. "This is serious."

Before he could retort, however, Haku returned with a glass syringe in hand. In it was a clear liquid. "Okay, I have it ready. Come on, Sasuke." Naruto stared wide-eyed at the needle.

"I'm not giving her _that_!" Sasuke protested.

"Why not…?" he asked.

"Are you kidding?! She'll kill him!" Naruto answered.

"_Uh_…"

"Mayu-san is afraid of needles. Really, it's only a fear of bees and their stingers," Sai supplied. "For some reason she imagines a giant bee whenever she sees a syringe."

"_Ah_… Well, just hide it behind your back, and then just stick it in when she's not looking," Haku suggested, shoving the syringe in the Uchiha's hands. Ignoring the 'That's what she said!' from Naruto, Sasuke was about to protest. Noticing that, Haku quickly continued. "Mayu-san needs this or she won't get better. If we wait any longer, her fever will return." A few choice words were directed at him, which only caused the ice user to smile. "It's decided then!" He pushed Sasuke forward. Completely oblivious to Sasuke's grumbles, Haku continued to push the Uchiha until they were in the room where Mayu's body lied. Sai and Naruto, of course, had followed. "Mayu-san, it's time to take your medicine!" Haku exclaimed cheerfully.

Sasuke had to hurriedly hide the syringe behind his back, even though Mayu took her time to sit up. When she did sit up and notice who all was in the room, she gave a weak glare. The glare was weak only because Mayu, herself, felt weak. But if she would have been at full strength, they'd be toast if looks could set fires… "_Ah_, how are you feeling, Mayu?" Naruto asked hesitantly. He did not want to be on the receiving end of Mayu's fist, weak or not. The kunoichi glared for a few more moments before falling back onto the futon.

"Haku…" she groaned wearily like a wounded animal. "What the fuck are they doing in here?" She no longer sounded wounded or weary in her teammates' opinions.

"They wanted to see you back to health of course," Haku practically gushed, moving towards her body. Mayu somehow made a 'yeah right' type of noise. He knelt on one side of her body while the others knelt on the other side. Not wanting to look at her teammates, she turned her head to Haku. "No, really… and plus Sasuke's going to give you something that will make you feel much better."

"Why does _he_ have to do it?" Mayu sneered. "Why can't you do it?" Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. She was giving them the cold shoulder, wasn't she? This wasn't the normal type either… This was the 'I don't care if you're in the room, I'll still talk shit about you' cold shoulder.

"Let's just say… Sasuke got the short end of the stick," Haku answered, causing the girl to look at him with a puzzled expression.

"Whatever," she finally murmured. "Tell him to get on with it."

"You could just talk to me yourself," Sasuke stated, frowning. There was no response. The room was quiet for a moment.

"Haku, I'm waiting. Tell him already!" Mayu urged. Sasuke almost growled. This was worse than just simply being ignored. He suddenly got the desire to jab Mayu with the needle, regardless of her fear of bees.

"Mayu-san…" Sai spoke slowly. "Why are you being such a moody bitch lately?" Everyone else in the room froze. Sure, the pale ninja was the… honest type. He could be as blunt as Mayu on some days, seriously. The kunoichi slowly—it was almost painfully slow—turned her head to face Sai. He did not have the usual smile on his face. Instead, it was frowning. Actually frowning.

"What… did you just say?" Mayu asked. Naruto and Sasuke both grimaced at the way her teeth grinded together. The noise sounded similar to nails on the chalkboard. The blond quickly clamped his hand over Sai's mouth before the pale ninja could repeat.

"Oh, he didn't _say_ anything!" he exclaimed, smiling at the still glaring kunoichi. "He's just silly—Sai's just being Sai." Naruto finished off his sentences with nervous laugh.

Apparently, his answer didn't suffice because Mayu had yet to take her fierce stare off her teammates. "_I'm_… being a bitch?" she whispered. She scoffed. "You're the ones who hate _me_ now, right?!" Three pairs of eyes widen. Mayu continued on, not lifting her head. "What am I saying…?" She huffed. "You're not—you couldn't be." Her body visibly shook but it was only for a second. "I didn't understand at first. You-" her voice cracked a bit. "-You look just like the men in the picture near my bed." Naruto's hand slowly dropped as he, as well as Sai and Sasuke, recalled the day when they received their first team picture. Mayu had been quick to put it in a frame. They remembered that she had held the frame against her chest as if it meant the world to her. "It must be a really good disguise because I can't see through it," Mayu continued. "But I do know that whoever you are, you're _not_ them."

"Mayu, you're delirious," Sasuke told her. "You need to calm down."

"Yeah! We are your team!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Bullshit…!" she raised her voice. "There's no way you can be them! You have to—have to be someone else! They would never treat me the way you did! So… I'm convinced that you are imposters!" Mayu's hand quickly reached under the covers and pulled out a kunai. She held it up in a defense positive. Her actions completely took her team members by surprise. Her sickness was taking a dangerous turn. Haku chose to remain quiet, watching the three younger teens try to convince their feverish teammate of their status. "Then tell me… Tell me where we first met! Tell me if it was good or bad! Tell me something only the four of us would know! Or is it… " Mayu's body shook again, more violently than before. The kunai fell to the ground. "Or is it that _I'm_ the fake to you? Have I changed so drastically in the presence of my uncle that you no longer want anything to do with me?" Tears freely fell from her eyes as she looked up at her teammates. "Is that it, Sai, Naruto, Sasuke?" None of the three spoke, much too stun by her sudden emotion. It… seemed to spring to life out of nowhere. "I… I really thought of you guys as my family. It hurts so much to—to have you disregard me as if I were nothing."

"Mayu…" Sasuke murmured. The girl looked away, not bothering to wipe the tears away. The team had no idea that she would react this way. Even Haku, whom had been quiet the entire time, hadn't fathomed that she would do this. He knew that she'd get upset, but crying…? It just seemed a little weird for someone like Mayu.

"_Family…?"_ Sai thought. _"Then she also…"_

Silent sobs, once again, shook her body. She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists. "Mayu…" Sai's voice caused the girl to look at him in shock. It was the first time that he hadn't used an honorific or her nickname. The tears stopped flowing. "I apologize… We did not think our actions would pain you this much." He hugged her. It was his very first time hugging someone in a long time. Yes, Mayu had given them all hugs in the past, but Sai had never returned the hug. The kunoichi tried to hug him back, but it was too surprising. She squeaked out his name. The hug was stiff and awkward, but it was a hug nevertheless.

"This is the last time I will agree to do something like this if it hurts you," Sai continued. He slowly released the girl. He almost had a solemn expression on his face… almost. His dark eyes moved over to the host. "Haku-san, I can no longer go along with your plan."

"What plan…?" Mayu hiccupped lightly. "What are you talking about?" Sasuke and Naruto both sighed simultaneously.

"Me, too…" the blond of the two said.

"What are you guys talking about?!" Three pairs of eyes turned to her. "What…?!" She hastily and angrily wiped the wetness from her face.

"Mayu, your uncle made it clear that he didn't like us," Sasuke began. The kunoichi's lip twitched before she scoffed.

"Of course he doesn't like you! You're three attractive guys and I'm his precious niece," she said as if it were obvious. "Of _course_ he's not going to like you!" Sasuke frowned. "What does that have to do with this so called plan?"

"It wasn't that he didn't like us…" Naruto murmured. "He threatened—no, he _told _us that we were not fit to be your teammates. When we return home, he's going to ask Granny to take you from this team."

Mayu's brow furrowed as she stared at her three teammates. Then her expression turned blank. The room was filled with silence. None made a sound. Even that bird outside stopped it's constant chirping, Haku noted. Naruto hesitated before speaking again. He was a little unnerved by Mayu lack of a response. He told her what happened, the things her uncle said, and how there was nothing they could do about it. Sai began talking next. He told her that they were a little desperate and went to Haku for help. Sasuke finished it up by saying that Haku's plan—to get in Uncle Morino's good graces—involved the three of them ignoring her.

After that, it was quiet again. The kunoichi, who hadn't spoken the entire time, didn't even blink. She continued to stare blankly at the three. "_Uh_… Mayu…?" Naruto spoke. All of sudden, she busted out laughing. Unfortunately for Sasuke, he received the stream of saliva that escaped her mouth. He angrily wiped at his face as Mayu clutched her stomach, complaining and laughing that she couldn't breathe.

A few minutes of laughter later, Mayu had finally calmed down… somewhat. "Let me get this straight…" she giggled. "He called you a reckless target, Sai-chan an untrustworthy con artist, and Sasuke an ignorant-ass Uchiha?" She fell into a fit of giggles again. "My uncle's a _riot_!"

"Mayu…! This is not the time to be laughing!" Sasuke almost shouted.

"And for the record, it was _confused_, ignorant-ass Uchiha," Naruto corrected; Mayu exploded into another fit.

"Not helping, Naruto…!"

"Queen, this is a serious matter," Sai stated. "I do not want our… _family_ to be split of because of a jealous relative."

"That's not going to happen," Mayu affirmed in a calm voice. She pulled her knees up and let her outstretched arms rest on them. Her team noticed the relieved look on her face as she sighed. "I must say, Haku-kun, you are a genius in your own right." The ice user looked mildly surprised. "To go through this much trouble just so that my stubborn teammates would tell me what was going on… Amazing," she sounded impressed.

"_Ah_," Haku smiled. "You figured it out then?"

"Yes… In the little time that you've known me, you have stumbled onto a bit of my personality," Mayu continued. "You knew what my reaction was going to be, right?"

"Actually, I thought your reaction would have something to do with throwing things and slamming your teammates against the ground. I thought they would finally tell you once they realized that you really were trying to kill them. That was my plan," Haku explained. "The tears were truly unexpected, but in the end, the result was the same." The two strategists shared a chuckle, in the process, confusing the hell out of their friends.

"What the hell are you—you know what? I don't even want to know," Sasuke shook his head. "Back to the matter at hand—what are we going to do about your uncle?! I can't get separated from you again…"

"I _said_ we're not splitting up!" Mayu sounded a bit annoyed. "I'll take care of my uncle! Just leave everything to me… when I get better, of course."

"Oh, that reminds me," Sasuke muttered.

"What reminds you of what?"

"This." He jabbed Mayu's arm with the needle and pressed the liquid inside her body. Luckily, her vein was already bulging.

Mayu let out an ear-splitting scream.

0-0

The two teens stared at each other, completely disregarding all things around them. In fact, they had almost forgotten that they were standing in the hallway. The others were in the living room; Sai was most likely helping Haku in the kitchen, though. Sasuke had come to check on his teammate, but she had already left the room, and that's how they met each other in the hallway. No words were spoken as they continued to look intently into one another's eyes. Neither one bothered to move their legs. Sasuke swallowed hard. They weren't going to get anywhere without words, so he mind as well start talking.

"You're feeling better," he began. Mayu averted her eyes to the ground.

"Yeah, I am…" she murmured. "Thanks for stating the obvious, captain."

"No problem, Major Pain-in-my-ass," Sasuke almost laughed. Mayu almost laughed. They didn't, however. For a moment, they fell into silence. Mayu scratched her cheek as Sasuke slid his tongue over his front teeth. "But… that's not the only thing you got back, is it?" It grew quiet again.

"Right…" Mayu finally spoke. "I got this horrible rash! You should see it! It's-"

"Mayu…! You know what I mean!" Sasuke interrupted. He knew she was lying; she was only tried to avoid it. "I know you remember. What happened between us… you know, right?" The kunoichi stepped forward. The Uchiha just about took a step back. Her head tilted down, so he couldn't see her face. He couldn't tell if she was angry.

"I…" Mayu began. She moved around him. "I can't deal with that right now," she whispered as she passed him.

"Please…" Sasuke's voice caused Mayu to pause in mid stride. "We need to talk… We can't just ignore it."

"I'm not trying to ignore it," the girl responded. She sighed. "We'll talk, I promise… Just not right now. I have to think and… plus there's my uncle. I can't—just not now, Sasuke." She walked away, not giving her teammate the chance to reply.

"_When…?"_ Sasuke thought. With a heavy sigh, the Uchiha turned and followed after the kunoichi. For the moment, his relationship with Mayu would have to be put in the back of his mind. She was right. He would give her time to think. Once he reached the living room—he had moved in a slow manner—he noted Mayu was nowhere to be found. Neither was her uncle for that matter. The only one in the room was Naruto. "Where did-"

"Mayu practically dragged her uncle out of her, saying that they needed talk privately," Naruto answered before Sasuke could inquire.

"Privately…?" the Uchiha murmured.

"Yeah," Naruto stood up. "_Privately_."

Sasuke nodded his head.

"I'll go get Sai."

0-0

The three teens had found the two Ishikari clan members quickly. But that was probably because they hadn't ventured that far away from Haku's home. The three were hidden from view by a bush, which had conveniently grew near where Mayu and her uncle were. Lucky them… "Can you hear what they're saying?" Naruto whispered.

"Shut up…!" Sasuke whispered back. "They haven't started talking yet! And if we can hear them, there's a good chance that they could hear us, so don't talk! Don't even breathe." Mayu's head suddenly turned towards the bush, causing two to yelp—quietly—in surprise and duck lower, which wasn't much since the three were lying with their chests to the ground. After a beat, she turned her head back towards her uncle, causing Naruto to breathe a sigh of relief.

"You think she saw us?" he asked. Sasuke hesitated before answering.

"… No, I don't think she did," he murmured.

"Of course she didn't. We're _obviously_ in stealth mode," Sai commented. He was using 'sarcasm,' one of the many things one did with friends. His friends ignored the smart-ass comment and focused their attention on Mayu's back; she was facing her uncle.

"So, Mayu-chan, what do you want to talk about?" Morino asked. The girl turned her full attention on her relative.

"_Um_… Last time we talked, I mean really talked, it was about the past," Mayu began. "I want to talk about the present now. This is about… my family. When I returned here, I was alone without my memories. I didn't know who I was or where I came from—not truly. At the time, I really needed family." Morino opened his mouth, but not a sound came out. Seeing this, Mayu continued. "But you'd know all about that, right, uncle?"

"Yes, family is very precious to you. I understand your feelings," Morino stated. She nodded her head. "But what is it you truly want to say?" A tight frown appeared on the kunoichi's face. At her side, her fingers curled into a fist.

"Besides you, my real flesh and blood, there are others that I call family," she said, tilting her head downwards. Morino remained silent. "I heard about what you told them, uncle. I didn't find it amusing-" In the bushes, Sasuke and Naruto snorted. "-that you told them that. So let me tell you something right now… Family or not-" His eyes widened slightly. If a cigarette happened to be in his mouth, it would have fallen to the ground. He had recalled his sister saying something like that once before.

_Family or not, dear brother…_

"-I will destroy anyone who would try to separate them from me!" Mayu finally lifted her head with a glare.

… _I will destroy you if you come in between me and those I care about!_

"_Mayuka-chi…"_ Morino thought in surprise. He could clearly see his dead sister glaring at him in the form of her daughter. "Ma-Mayu-chan… Please understand that I was going to do it for you. It would be for the best. They are not-"

"They are _exactly_ what I need right now!" Mayu looked and sounded angry. Morino was taken aback. Never before had his niece yelled out him. Never before had she been angry with him. That had always been the case, simply because of her adoration for him. But now… she was pissed. "They are my comrades, my friends, and my team… my family! Sure, Sai might only show few emotions, but considering his past, he's come a long way! He is _not_ an untrustworthy con artist! I would gladly place my life in his hands—that's how much I trust him!" Sai's lips parted, stunned by his teammate's words. There had been a time where she would have killed him for his actions, but now she was defending him so passionately. His body tensed, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Naruto might be a reckless target at times—I won't deny it, he _is_ one! Sometimes the way he acts is so goddamn annoying-" Naruto pouted. "-But I wouldn't give him up as a teammate. He is someone that I consider a _brother_." Honestly, the blond shinobi didn't know what to think. He hadn't felt this way since Sasuke had announced that he considered him a _best friend_. Naruto swallowed hard, willing himself not to let tears fall. "Also, Sasuke…" she paused as if trying to find the right words to say. "Sasuke is not confused. He realizes that Itachi has to pay for what he's done. He is not wrong for wanting revenge for the loss of his family. Who are you to judge what he desires?"

"He does not value family, Mayu. Are you condoning what he plans to do to the first person you considered your brother?" Morino questioned.

"That's _none_ of your business!" Mayu retorted. "The fact of the matter is, uncle, that this is my _new_ family. After what happened… After I lost mother, father, and all my cousins, I was _alone_. When I regained my memories, it was that much more painful because I experienced those feelings all _over_ again. I refuse to go through that because of you. How could you even _think_ its okay to tear my family away from me after all I've gone through already?!"

"Mayu-"

"I love you, Uncle Mori," Mayu interrupted. "But I will _bury_ you, alongside the rest of our clan, if you threaten my precious family again."

It was silent. None present spoke a word. The three hiding in the brushes barely breathed as they continued to watch uncle and niece stare at one another. Morino suddenly closed his eyes and sighed. "I understand, Mayu-chan," he murmured. "You seem more and more like your grandmother every day. It's almost creepy actually." Mayu didn't say anything. Her blue eyes stared up at her uncle. They were no longer angry. "I… will no longer interfere in your affairs." Mayu almost smiled. "You just need to follow my one condition." He nonchalantly pulled out a cigarette and lighter, choosing to ignore the irritated look coming from his niece.

"Fine."

"So hasty," Morino remarked, and then blew out a puff of smoke as he snapped his lighter shut with a _clink_ sound. He blew out another puff. "The terms of this condition goes as follows." This time he paused, and then inhaled, and then blew out. Mayu's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Practically snarling, the kunoichi yelled out his title. "_Ah_, you don't like to be kept waiting, do you?" He chuckled. Mayu didn't find it funny. "In order to prove to me that you trust them completely, you really are going to put your life in their hands."

"_Eh_…?"

"What I mean is… You must defeat me, Mayu, with only the thought of not losing your _family_ to drive you," Morino clarified.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"If your trust in them is so strong, then you'll have no problem defeating me," Morino said. He smirked. "If you can't defeat me, they will not be your teammates ever again." He blew out. "I won't go easy on you and they won't be allowed to help. Will you still accept this?"

Mayu stared at the man in front of her, not believing the words that came from his mouth. _"My uncle… he has changed,"_ she thought. She averted her eyes to the side. This person is front of her was a stranger. This was not the man she grew up admiring. Although he was, he wasn't the same. "I… I accept your challenge," Mayu bit out. "I have no intention of losing to you."

"You'll need more than will to beat me, Mayu-_chan_."

0-0

Can't wait to finish this arc! _Whoo_!


	26. Ishikari-sama I

"Why… are you staring at me…?" Sai and Naruto looked up from whatever it was that they were doing. Sure enough, their female teammate was staring intensely at the Uchiha. She was lying down on her stomach. Her head was propped up by her hands and elbows. The four were crowded in a room. Mayu had decided that she was going to sleep in the same room as her teammates for this night. Sasuke smirked as Mayu's blue eyes continued to watch him. "I'm sexy and I know it, but you don't have to stare." The young Ishikari laughed heartily.

"This is so amazing…" Mayu began, keeping her grin in place. "There was a time where I thought 'what an asshole!'" At the sudden confession, Sasuke glowered and Naruto snickered. The kunoichi continued smiling, staring directly at her teammate. "But now, I'm glad I know you, Sasuke. I'm glad that I had a chance to get to know you."

"Don't make it seem like that chance is over." Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment. "We have the rest of our lives to continue to get to know each other." The girl's cheeks gained a slight blush, but she didn't stop staring.

"Yeah…? I guess so."

Mayu chuckled again, and then turned to her other two teammates. She gave them the same stare that she had given to Sasuke. "Is there… something on my face?" Sai asked as he rubbed the back of his hand against his cheek. She shook her head.

"Hey, Sai-chan, do you know how to play Rock-Paper-Scissors?" she questioned. The pale ninja gave Mayu a blank stare before answering.

"I have heard of janken and read the rules for it," Sai admitted. "However, I have never played it before."

The sounds of two gasps were heard. Sasuke rolled his eyes. Naruto and Mayu could be so overdramatic sometimes. So the guy never played janken before—so what? Big deal… Sasuke furrowed his eyebrows together. Thinking back, he'd never actually played the game either. He mentally shrugged as he watched Mayu and Naruto pester Sai about playing the game with them right now. The pale ninja smiled and agreed. "_Oi_…! You come play, too, Sasuke!" Naruto called over. With a sigh, the Uchiha went over to the group, unknowingly completing the circle.

For hours, the team played janken. It was childish, but each had to admit that it was nice. Especially since their team might fall apart due to a certain uncle. That thought alone put a damper on their thoughts, so it was forced in the back of their minds. They played to forget. "Yes…!" Naruto cheered, holding up a paper sign. Two of his teammates glowered at their rock signs. Sai only shrugged. He had also picked rock for this turn. "Now you all have to take one piece of clothing off!" He wiggled his eyebrows in Mayu's direction. The girl scowled as Sai began to peel off his glove. The game had _somehow_ turned into strip janken.

Currently, Sai was only in his dark boxers, having just removed his glove. As it turns out, the pale ninja wasn't that much of a player of janken. Sasuke was sitting there in a sleeveless fishnet top and his blue boxers. Mayu, blushing, only had one more layer of clothing on; a black tank top—no bra—and panties. Naruto, only the other hand, was fully clothed. Since their rounds of strip janken began, he hadn't lost a single round. He was a pro. The Uchiha looked in Mayu's direction. Sooner or later, she would have to remove one or the other.

Mayu, feeling the leer from her otherwise aloof teammate, hugged herself as if protecting a treasure from such an obvious stare. "Wait a minute…! This isn't fair!" she protested.

"Oh, no you don't! You must remove something, Mayu!" Naruto gave her a cheeky grin, causing her to glare at the blond male. "Paper beats rock, remember?"

"No, no, no, no…! I understand that Scissors can beat Paper, and I get how Rock can beat Scissors, but there's no effin' way Paper can beat Rock! Is Paper supposed to _magically_ wrap about Rock causing it to become immobile? If so, why doesn't scroll paper wrap around ninja and the Hokage as they attempt to write and approve mission reports?" Mayu ranted. Yeah, she was really trying to get out of it. "I'll tell you why… It's because Paper can't beat anybody! A rock would tear it up within seconds!"

"Yes. A valid point, but it's the rules. Take it off," Sasuke muttered as he removed his fishnet top. He tossed it to the side and stared at Mayu expectedly. The kunoichi scrunched her face up, obviously uncomfortable about her situation.

"Yeah, yeah, Mayu!" Naruto hadn't lost his grin yet. "Follow the _rules_." Sai looked to Mayu, wondering what she would do.

The girl clenched fist pressed against her folded knees. Her shoulders visibly shook. The male members of the team could still see the blush on the girl's face. Without warning, Mayu punched Naruto in his right eye. The blond fell over backwards, groaning in pain. "Oh, I'm _sorry_!" The kunoichi stood, hands on her hips. "I thought paper would _protect_ _you_!" Sasuke sighed at Mayu's apparent win. Then he smirked. There was no use fighting with the girl now.

"Ma-Mayu… that was _cruel_…!" Naruto whined as he sat up, rubbing his bruised cheek. The kunoichi only turned her head away, crossed her arms, and smirked.

"That's what you get for thinking you were going to see my goodies, my goodies, my goodies, not my goodies! _Ow_!" Mayu's little dance was interrupted by Sai cuffing the back of her head. He explained it was to shut her up, so their ears wouldn't bleed. The kunoichi stuck her tongue out, ignoring the praises Naruto and Sasuke sent Sai's way, before putting Sasuke's extra boxers back on. On more than day long missions, Mayu would never bring her own pajamas, so she took one of her teammates' extra ones. Sasuke just happened to be the one she 'stole' from for this mission. "Hey, you guys wanna play something else?" Without waiting for an answer, the girl crawled over to her bag. She pulled out a deck of cards. Their teammate had taken a liking to card tricks. It was too bad that she sucked at it. At the sight, the three shinobi blanched. Mayu noticed. "Hey! I've been practicing! I'll definitely pull out your card this time!"

"Isn't it kinda late, Mayu-chan?" Naruto yawned loudly.

"Don't be ridiculous, Naruto. It's _only_ three hours past midnight!" Her three male teammates stared at her with narrowed eyes. Her cheeriness was unreal. Anyone could tell that much.

"_It is possible…"_

"… _that Mayu…"_

"… _is nervous…?"_

Mayu grinned as she began shuffling the cards. She had not realized that tears leaked out of her eyes as she continued to shuffle. The strain of what could happen had been on her mind since she left her uncle. How could her uncle do that to her? Why would he try to take something so precious away? It didn't make any sense. Ishikari Morino always favored his niece. People could change, that fact is certain, but… to change so drastically over the course of six years…? Why…? Without Mayu knowing, worried looks from her teammates were sent her way. Of course they noticed the tears running down her face. Naruto bared his teeth, and not in the friendly way. _"Damn it…! Can't he see that pulling us apart will only hurt Mayu?!" _he thought, glaring at the ground. The other two looked on in silence, waiting for the girl to finish. Instead, the shuffled cards fell from her hands. She halted all movement for several moments. She grimaced.

"S-Sorry," her voice cracked. "Tomorrow… Tomorrow, I'll definitely have it down." They did not respond, causing her to frown. "Hey… You could at least answer with a 'we can't wait to see it because it's going to be awesome!' Your silence is not liked." Narrowing his eyes, Sasuke gestured for her to come towards him. Mayu blinked and frowned, but obeyed nonetheless. As soon as she was in the Uchiha's reach, she found herself in his embrace. Her nose was invaded by the familiar scent of her teammate. It was the type of smell that brought back memories of open fires in the winter months; it also calmed her nerves. It was a mixture of spices and amber. _Mmmm_. It was such a nice scent. One could get lost in it. Subconsciously, the girl nearly inhaled the aroma of her teammate. She was immediately brought back by her blond teammate loudly clearing his throat. She had ended up returning Sasuke's hug. "What…?!" She snapped out of it and pushed him away. "Wh-What the hell are you doing?!"

"Your card tricks haven't gotten better anyway," he stated, smirking. Mayu stuck out her tongue.

"_Bite_ me!"

"May I do the same?" Sai asked. The kunoichi had been about to reply with a noise of perplexity, but she had suddenly found herself in her pale teammate's arms. Unlike the first hug from Sasuke, Sai's hug came from behind. He had literally pulled her into his lap, squeezing her body. "It doesn't matter how bad your tricks are. The important thing is that you try."

"How nice of you to admit," Mayu scowled. Still, her left eyebrow rose. She could only wonder why she was receiving such treatment from the pale ninja. Sure, Sasuke had done it, but Sai only did his 'monkey see, monkey do' thing when it concerns greeting new people. Sai's grip began slightly stronger. "Sai…? What are you-" She stopped. This was the longest time that she had actually been this close to Sai. She realized that he, too, had a relaxing smell. It was different from Sasuke's, though. He smelt of pine and herbs. It was surprising that he didn't smell like ink and paint.

"_Oi_, _oi_…! Cut that out, you two! Mayu looks like she has a fever!" Naruto ordered, tugging on Mayu's arm. The pale ninja did as he was told and released the flustered-looking kunoichi. She shook her head slightly as if she was dizzy.

"What is _with_ you guys all of a sudden?" she questioned, rubbing at her face. She felt the wetness on her cheeks, but chose to ignore it; most likely thinking it was drool. Her teammates did smell _mighty_ fine. Before her question was answered, however, she practically yanked into Naruto's embrace. "For the love of…!" Mayu didn't even bother to struggle this time. Whatever the heck was wrong with her teammates, it could become clear… hopefully. Naruto smelled a lot like citrus flavors—like oranges. It had to be cologne. Naruto didn't naturally smell like that, right?

"Mayu… we will always be here for you!" he stated. "No matter what happens, your uncle cannot tear us apart like this!"

"Of… Of course…" Mayu replied. "I won't let it happen." The girl pulled away from her blond teammate. "It won't happen, okay? So you guys should stop worrying about it." The three males were silent. "Anyway, I think we've stayed up long enough. Let's get some sleep, ne?" She lifted the covers up of the futon and quickly got under. Her teammates eyed her carefully before doing the same.

"Mayu …"

"_Hm_…?"

"You're not telling us something, right?" The concern in Naruto's voice caused the kunoichi to frown. She didn't answer. "Mayu …?" There was still no response from the Ishikari. "You… don't have to do this."

"I do and I will. I'm not the same little girl that my uncle used to know. He is not the same uncle that I knew either," Mayu whispered. "I don't want to do this, but it has to be done. When it happens, please don't think differently of me."

The three males could only ponder her inexplicable words as they drifted off to sleep.

0-0

It was a bright and sunny day. This lovely scene clashed with the mood of the area. The four members of Team Badass—a name Naruto had come up with to pass the time—stared apprehensively at the older of the Ishikari. He lazy stared back at them. His smoking cigarette was clenched between his teeth. He suddenly grinned at the four. "Well, shall we get started, Mayu-chan?" he asked. The girl slowly nodded, and then stepped forward. She glanced back at her teammates.

"You guys should stand over to the side. Don't get involved… This is my fight, alright?" Mayu turned back to her uncle. Her three teammates silently did as they were told. They were still worried—more than worried. And with good reason… Mayu had been acting weird all morning. Now, into the afternoon, she had suddenly become serious. They knew that the fight wasn't a regular spar, but…

"You are aware that… I won't hold back, right?" Morino asked. He took his cigarette from his mouth and put it out. He tossed it away. Mayu didn't reply to his question. She merely slid her foot back, pushing most of her weight to her front leg. Her uncle did the same. The battle was set to begin. For several tense moments, the two Ishikari only stared at one another. Morino smirked. "You're hesitating, Mayu-chan… That will only be your downfall." The older ninja disappeared from her line of vision. Mayu narrowed her eyes as she watched her double turn into a log when her uncle elbowed her in the back.

"_Uncle has gotten way faster…" _she thought. _"Hopefully not faster than I am…"_

Morino scoffed, and then made hand signs. He disappeared, leaving only a cloud of smoke behind. Mayu stiffened, having just noticed the presence behind her. "Hiding, are we, Mayu-chan?" her uncle whispered in her ear. "That's not how we Ishikari fight. Have you forgotten our ways? This is only another reason that I will not allow you to be with them." The kunoichi frowned.

"Actually, remaining in the shadows—remaining hidden—isn't that our talent?" she asked, and then tried to backhand her uncle, but he leapt out of the way. His feet touched the ground. He looked up, staring pointedly at the tree branch she was crouched on.

"Come down here, Mayu. _Fight_ me. Give it everything you've got and pray that it's enough."

Mayu glowered as she stared down at her uncle. She remembered how he had always mocked her like this when she was younger. She stood up, and then jumped far from the tree branch. Her three teammates stared at her as she landed. Her back was still to them, though. Morino walked out of the shade of the tree, still grinning. _"I… cannot lose this!"_ She licked her lips, and then ran towards her uncle. The two Ishikari met in a clash of kicks and punches. Fast-paced and relentless, neither Ishikari had landed a hit yet.

The younger of the two Ishikari dropped down into the splits. Surprised by this, Morino did nothing to stop his niece from hammering at his torso with her fists. With one final punch, the girl succeeded in knocking her uncle away from her. She stood up with a smirk on her face. "It would see that your body is not as tough as it used to be, uncle… Or is it that smoking has taken its toll on you?" Mayu asked. Morino laughed, but the laughter soon turned into coughs. The man spit blood from his mouth.

"Maybe, maybe…" he replied. He ran a thumb over his bloodied teeth, and then began to form hand signs. "You're a lot stronger than I thought. This isn't going to be as easy as when you were seven." Mayu's eyes widen as she recognized the hand signs. She quickly bit her thumb, drawing blood. At a much faster pace, she began to make the hand signs as well.

"Summoning Jutsu…!" Both Ishikari slammed their hands on the ground. Two massive clouds of smoke appeared in front of them.

"She summoned Nana-chan…?" Naruto muttered in surprise.

The black leopard was clearly visible, beside Mayu, once the smoke dissipated. Three pairs of eyes moved over to see what Morino had summoned. A deafening roar filled their ears, causing one of the three to cringe. Mayu visibly shook, seeing her uncle's feline partner. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. He had… certainly gotten bigger from the last time she had seen him. He was twice as big as Nana was now. A deep chuckle seemed to shake the very ground.

"**It's been quite some time since I've been summoned, Morino**," the voice seemed to come from the giant feline. A pink tongue slithered out of its mouth and licked its equally pink nose. Its ice blue eyes focused in on Mayu and her feline partner. "**Oh, so they're still alive, are they? Little Mayu has grown up, hasn't she?"** Morino frowned as his partner shook his white fur. Its black stripes seemed to become jagged. "**This should be an interesting battle**." The white tiger had a blue Konoha headband tied around its waist. Bandages were wrapped around its left front leg. There seemed to be some sort of… collar around the beast's neck. It held a black staff there. The tiger's ice blue eyes shifted over to the leopard. "_**Ah**_**, Nana… It has been some time**." Nana growled.

"**Up yours, asshole**!" was the leopard's retort.

"**Oh, so you finally got enough chakra from your partner to speak the human tongue, did you**?" his response was mocking. "**You speak just like your human, I'm guessing**?"

"_Oi_, _oi_…! Stop it, already, Mizuiro. Just what type of relationship do you have with Nana?" Morino asked. The white tiger, known as Mizuiro, chuckled again.

"**Oh, we go way back**," he answered. "**So… are we fighting your own kin**?"

"It's only for the best," the man reached for the staff. He slammed the end of the staff against the ground. At the top of the staff, there was a clear gem, and in that clear gem was the Ishikari crest. Morino stared at his niece. Her glare had returned. "Stay back for now. I'll beat out her stubbornness." Mizuiro snorted, but lowered himself into a relaxed sitting position. On the other side, Mayu had told her feline partner to stand down as well until Mizuiro decided to interfere. The kunoichi removed her bow and arrows from her partner.

"Bring it on, uncle."

"Don't regret those words."

0-0

"Mayu…" Naruto whispered, covering his mouth with his hand. The battle had turned bloody as soon as the feline partners were let out. The female Ishikari was lying on the ground, panting heavily. Red claw marks riddled her arms and legs. Nana, a few feet away, looked in worse shape than Mayu. Meanwhile, Morino and Mizuiro were injured, but not as badly. Blood and arrows littered the battlefield. The man hopped off his tiger and dropped his staff. He slowly walked over to his niece's body. Mayu tried to stand. She failed. Morino stopped a few inches away from her. He lowered his eyelids as he gazed at her broken body. She had fought hard and with such passion that rivaled her mother's. It made him both proud and angry.

"Why did you continue to fight me, knowing that you wouldn't win?!" he murmured. "Perhaps if you had given up when I told you, you wouldn't be in the state you're in now! Give up now and save yourself more injuries!" Mayu slowly turned over. Blood slid down her chin, both dry and fresh. She kicked her legs out, trying to take her uncle down. The man only hopped over her legs as they swung by. He glared at her, and then kicked her side. A pained gasped escaped the girl's lips. "Why do you continue to fight me?! Do you want to _die_?! Would you die for _them_? They are not _us_!"

Despite the injuries, Mayu smirked. "They are family," she replied. She stood up, holding her aching side. She really hoped those ribs weren't broken. "Besides, I'm not done yet. I'm not going to lose to a _fledgling_. You only surpass me in physical strength, uncle. However, thanks to my team, these injuries are _nothing_. Your strength won't be enough, so stop wasting my time and pull out the big one. I'll show you the true top cock."

"Your vulgar words come from hanging around those boys… uncouth," Morino replied. The kunoichi took several steps back. The man paid no mind. His arm lifted.

"**MAYU**…!" Nana rushed over. Claws extended, she was ready to strike the man. Bloodlust appeared in her eyes as she moved closer and closer. Morino quickly jumped away, but Nana still went after him. The black leopard lunged at him, only to be tackled to the ground by Mizuiro. Nana's neck was encased in the bigger cat's mouth. The white tiger demanded that she stay put. Defeated, Nana's body went limp. Morino looked towards the two beasts before his eyes returned to his niece's body.

Mayu still had that smirk on her face, goading him. In those eyes, she held a secret she was just itching to unleash. She lifted a finger, waving it back and forth. Morino almost snarled at her action. "Stand down, you stupid girl!" he shouted. "Can't you see you're fighting a losing battle?! Give up!"

"Give up? I'm just getting started. Why don't you stop holding back already?"

The girl's teammates couldn't believe what they were witnessing. Why did Mayu seem so confident despite her bloody appearance? Well, she wasn't struggling for breath. Sasuke's eyes widen in recognition. "She doesn't even feel it," he murmured. Naruto looked at him in question. "I mean, she's pretty messed up, but it's not _bothering_ her. She's _used_ to it." A look of enlightenment crossed the blonde's face. "She's not breathing hard. Her stamina is on a completely different level. And she knows it."

"Then… all of us are like that?" Sai asked slowly.

"Fine…! You want the big one? I'll give you the big one!" Morino yelled. He began forming hand signs for his final attack. He held out his hand, palm down. A small flame flickered in under his palm. It flickered again before growing bigger. It continued to grow as the man slowly turned his palm up. The flame consumed his entire hand as well as his forearm. Instead of the normal orange and red color, this fire was blue. "Tsukeru!" The man raced towards his niece. Three pairs of eyes widen at the sight.

After recalling a certain memory, Naruto's mouth dropped open. "He's… he's going to kill her…!" he exclaimed. Before he could move, Sasuke gripped his shoulder. "Sasuke! You don't know what type of power that attack has! Mayu-"

"-Doesn't need us to interfere right now," he interrupted. Even though he said this with no emotion in his voice, cold sweat slid down his face and dripped off his chin. Sasuke could _feel_ the power from the man's attack from this distance.

Ishikari Morino did not stop running towards his niece, whom looked as every bit as self-righteous as she had. Then she frowned. Within meters of reaching her, Mayu opened her mouth. "Stop." Her command had not been met with defiance. Eyes expanding in pure shock, Morino realized that his body had completely frozen. The blue flames continued to lick at his skin and clothes. "Do you understand now, uncle?" Mayu asked. His blue eyes were panicked, darting to and fro, but he didn't speak. "Do you understand why you're just a fledgling? It's because I am a _true_ Ishikari Master—a _guardian_." She narrowed her eyes, relinquishing her hold on her relative. The man took a deep breath and he fell to the ground, blue flames extinguished. He gripped his neck as though he had been choked. "Get up," she ordered. "On your knees."

Speechless, her teammates watched as Morino did as instructed. Mayu had never shown such abilities as… mind control. And if she had, they hadn't realized it. Sasuke found himself shuddering. She could literally rip away a person's free will. "M-M-Mayu…?! Ho-How?!" Morino sputtered out, clearly confused.

"Someone took my precious person away from me," she answered, nonchalantly. "I wasn't _happy_!" The ground in front of the man fractured. As if struck by an invisible force, Morino's body was knocked away from the kunoichi, leaving behind a large fissure. He didn't stop until his back hit a tree several hundred meters away. Flexing her ten digits outwards, two large blue flames appeared in her hands. Sai blinked, watching the girl moved toward her uncle. He had realized that he couldn't sense any chakra being emitted from her at the moment. She had conjured those flames without expelling chakra.

"**Mayu, stop**!" Flinching, the kunoichi did so. She craned her neck towards the one who had spoken. He had released her feline partner, whom was still limp on the ground. "**He did not know. He concedes defeat**." She regarded the white tiger with an unreadable expression, mulling it over. Then she curled her fingers, putting out the flames. She sighed, closing her eyes. Then she asked if the large cat would retrieve him. "**Yes, Ishikari-sama**."

Naruto gapped, watching Mayu cross her arms. A chill had gone through his body as he had watched the older of the two Ishikari fly back. This display of abilities had been what she meant. She hadn't broken down because she believed that her uncle would win, thus ensuring that the team would fall apart. No, she had cried because she hadn't wanted them to witness… the power she truly possessed. Most likely, she hadn't wanted them to know of this side of her. "We…" Naruto swallowed hard. "We can't tell anyone about this." He felt two pairs of eyes on him, but his kept his stare focused on his female teammate. Not aware of the stare, she had set her sights on her uncle. "She didn't want to use it."

"She's embarrassed," Sai murmured.

"She's afraid," Sasuke corrected, frowning. "Of how we're going to treat her."

Mayu suck in a breath and waited a few seconds before releasing it. Mizuiro had dragged her uncle back and dropped him like a mere sack before her. Slowly, he lifted his head, meeting her gaze. His body wasn't as tough as hers. She had felt the difference when she had punched him. "Master Ishikari is my title. I have surpassed all clan heads before me, therefore, I am my own person. You will not have any say in my decisions or my life. You will not meddle in my new family again. Accept these conditions and concede defeat."

"Admito la derrota, Dama Ishikari." Hastily, he bowed his head. Mayu lowered her eyelids. It truly pained her to hear those words from her uncle. Another part of her was relieved. Still, the distance in his voice… Morino stood up and closed his eyes. "You… were confident all this time… Why didn't you just end it quickly?"

"Because I'm a bitch when I'm pissed," she replied. Then she felt it. The familiar feeling of vertigo almost caused her to scowl, and she would have if she hadn't slipped into unconsciousness. Her three teammates caught her before she hit the ground. Morino blinked in astonishment. Seconds later, Nana disappeared in a puff of smoke. Yawning, Mizuiro did the same.

"You seem surprised," Sasuke stated, allowing Sai to hold the kunoichi. He turned towards the older shinobi.

"I am," Morino admitted. Finally, he stood. "My niece has changed. She doesn't need her uncle anymore. She chose surrogate over blood… just as I did."

"What?" Naruto asked, confused. The man sighed.

"This was only a test. My true intentions weren't to split this team up. I wanted only to evaluate her skills," Morino explained. "Who knew I was facing the atavism of the mind."

"What do you mean?" Sai questioned. "And how did Queen-?"

"I'll let my niece fill you in," he cut short. Blue eyes focused on Mayu's limp body, calculating. Then Morino looked at the faces of the young ninja. "Even after seeing her frightening abilities, you show concern for her—for this _monster_?" The reactions were slow—probably due to shock—but fierce.

"She's not a monster! Mayu is Mayu!" Naruto protested, showing his teeth in a feral way.

"Frightening, yes, but I would never consider Queen a monster," Sai asserted, furrowing his brow.

"How could you call your niece such a word?" Sasuke hand lightly touched the hilt of his sword.

"Relax! I didn't mean it. I just wanted to see… if you were truly fit," Morino replied with a shrug. "You passed." Their anger faltered somewhat. "Well, we better push off to the Leaf. I've a lot of explaining to do."

0-0

She slowly shifted, prompting Sasuke to turn his head a bit. Finally, she was starting to wake up. Her nostrils flared three times before her body attempted to relax again. "You guys…" Mayu began. The Uchiha almost rolled his eyes. If his teammate hadn't been so into cats, he would call her a bloodhound. The kunoichi sat up in her hospital bed and turned her attention to the three of them. Naruto furrowed his brow, struggling to hold back his excitement at seeing her open eyes. Luckily, Sasuke had advised him against making so much noise ahead of time. Still, the blond rose from his stool, knocking it over. Mayu frowned, staring at them. "We're back in the Leaf, aren't we?"

"Yes," Sai answered. "We returned only an hour ago."

"My uncle…?"

"… I guess he's still talking with Granny," Naruto muttered.

"I see." Mayu looked down at her bandaged arms. It hadn't been just there, either. Medical dress had been used all over. She then lifted her shirt, which caused Naruto to shriek. Ignoring him, she stared her bandaged torso and frowned. "Broken…?"

"Just a few cracks," Sasuke spoke up. "The doctor said you would be clear for missions soon, though." The kunoichi huffed, feeling embarrassed that she had been out for so long. The room became silent after that. It felt surprisingly awkward. They all wanted to say something, he guessed, but finding the right words to say turned out to be harder than they had believed. Even Sai, as blunt as he usually was, remained quiet. But things needed to be said. Things needed to be explained. If they weren't going to speak up, then it would be up to him to break this stifling atmosphere. "You controlled him with your mind, didn't you?" If anything, his question shifted the mood of the room into an almost unbearable point. Her hands clutched the sheets of the bed as she bit down on her lower lip. "You also attacked him physically with your mind, right?"

"… Yes." Mayu's gulp had been audible.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Naruto asked, gaining a bit of confidence. She shifted uncomfortably on the bed. "We're not afraid of you, Mayu!" His blurted statement caused the kunoichi to wince. "We just want to _know_."

"We're your family," Sai whispered.

"You don't have to hide anymore," Sasuke urged.

Again, silence drifted in and didn't leave until Mayu sighed heavily. "Sorry," she said. "It's hard for me to open up sometimes. I didn't say anything because I was partly ashamed of my abilities. Besides the whole not using chakra thing, I… don't like the fact that I can get inside a person's head and _toy_ with it, therefore toying with a person's body. It was silly of me, but I thought you guys would be guarded around me if you knew what I could do with just my voice or eyes."

"No way in hell!" Naruto proclaimed. "You're still our teammate."

"Still, I-"

"Forget about that." Sasuke's tone had been harsher than he intended. "You are not a secret anymore. We see _you_. Not your abilities." His male teammates nodded their heads in agreement. Mayu blinked twice, and then lowered her gaze again. However, this time, she scratched her cheek, lips forming a small smile. Without any type of warning, she latched onto the person closest to her. Naruto squeaked in surprise. The fierce hug had knocked him to the floor. Sasuke could only watch, feeling somewhat jealous. Her next words immediately quelled that, though.

"I meant what I said. I think of you as a brother, Naruto," Mayu stated. The blond shinobi underneath her froze. Gradually, her arms loosened. They both sat up, still staring into each other's eyes. She wanted to let him know that she was completely serious. "When I think of what it would feel like to have a younger brother, I think of you. Yeah, you're hyperactive and impulsive, but I wouldn't take you any other way. If I have to forget about being a secret, then you have to forget about my uncle said, okay?" Naruto slowly nodded his head. As she stood, Mayu extended a hand in his direction. He took it without complaint and was lifted up. Her blue eyes focused on Sai. "I'm sorry. Please forgive my uncle. He thinks he knows it all, but he really doesn't." Her hands gripped the pale ninja's shoulders. "He doesn't _know_ you, Sai."

"Of course he doesn't. His analysis was merely assumptions," he replied. Mayu smiled at his answer, and then leaned forward, kissing his nose. Sasuke scowled internally, but again swatted thoughts of envy aside. The kiss she had given to Sai had been just like the ones his mother used to give to him, equipped with the 'muah' sound. "Queen." He actually smiled. As miniscule as it was, he still smiled. Mayu finally shifted her attention to quiet Uchiha.

"Sasuke," she began.

"Don't talk anymore." Sasuke pushed himself from the wall he had been leaning against. "Just focus on resting for now." The kunoichi frowned. He immediately looked away. "Let's not make this a habit, alright?" Then he left, mumbling something about air. Really, he couldn't be sure. Sasuke felt numb all over. _"Why?"_ he questioned himself as he slid the door close behind him. All this talk of family and how she felt towards her team, it had been too much. _"Am I a coward?"_ To know how she truly felt about him had caused him to feel strange anxiety. He didn't think he would be able to take it if… he was only another brother to her, or worse—a child. He didn't want to be her brother or her child, especially after what had happened. Sasuke's tongue glided over his teeth as he closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. He could still remember the touch of her—the _taste_ of her. He couldn't let it go. And by hearing how she felt about him _now_ would be letting that go.

Mayu must be feeling confused. Being confused could lead to the _wrong_ decision. He needed the trigger word, now more than ever. As she was now, Mayu didn't feel obligated to try to love him because she couldn't remember certain things that contributed to friendship. The trigger word was the key. But how was he supposed to find it? The sound of footsteps entered his ear, causing the Uchiha to turn his head to the right. Walking down the hallway was Mayu's uncle, Ishikari Morino. The man stopped for a moment, noticing Sasuke's presence, and then continued forward. "What are you doing out here?" he questioned.

"I… needed to get away for a minute."

"_Hm_… I see." For a moment, he stopped talking. Then- "Do you know what an atavism is, Uchiha?"

"A gene that reoccurs after skipping several generations," Sasuke replied. "It explains why a family of brown-eyed people suddenly has a child with green eyes."

"Yes, good," Morino said. "That is what happened to Mayu, but instead of a physical trait, her mind was affected. It's not her fault that she has the abilities of our ancestor."

"Look—enough with the tests. I don't _care_," Sasuke retorted. "And I'm not changing my mind either." It didn't need to be said again. The man knew exactly what he had been referring to. He quirked his eyebrow, and then smirked.

"I understand," Morino responded as he reached into his inside jacket pocket. "No more tests—I've got it." He pulled out a black book, smaller than his own hand. It appeared old, too—maybe more than a decade judging by the loose binding. "I'll leave Mayu-chan in your hands now…" The book was given to Sasuke, whom merely glanced at the hardback. "I've been forbidden from meddling in her family's affairs… That includes Itachi." At the mention of his brother's name, Sasuke's eye twitched. "There might be something of use to you in that diary. You want the trigger word, don't you? Well, let me give you a hint. It is significant to only the person without the memories. However, to those around them, it means nothing."

"So if that word is Nana, it is because they share a strong bond? While to others, it's merely a tool and user type of relationship."

"That's it."

"But why _Nana_? Why did that certain name unlock her memories?" Sasuke inquired.

"No, that one word didn't unlock all her memories. It merely opened the door," Morino explained. "Nana, Itachi, Uchiha, extermination—do you understand?"

"It's a web…"

"Quite right. Maybe this diary will help you figure it out."

"Then this diary belongs to Mayu?"

"No. It belongs to Uchiha Itachi."

0-0

I am so glad this arc is _over_! My word! At one point, I questioned why I even thought to revise this story as a whole! _Haaah_! It was so hard, but I have gotten over it. Meh... Anyway, Mayu's atavism will be explained in more detail at a later time because, honestly, I'm still developing the concept.

Oh, and by the way _Admito la derrota, Dama Ishikari_ translates to _I admit defeat, Lady Ishikari_. Mayu's role in the Ishikari clan will be explained later on, too, because there's a storm brewing in my head at the moment. With the appearance of my new story, plus my other stories, it's getting pretty chaotic up there. Yikes. But not to worry. By the time explanations need to be said, I'll have everything worked out. For now, just go with the flow~ and review.


	27. Our Story I

_Ten years ago__…_

Dark eyes stared down at the equally dark book. The strange object had appeared. Surely, it had been placed on his desk in the five minutes he had been away from his room. Innocently, the small book laid there, already opened. The first page revealed only one sentence. _Writing in this diary—no, journal—is such a pain._ Though it had been a year ago, he recognized his own handwriting. The journal had been a birthday present from his mother. She had told him that _being a chuunin is tough, so you should get your feelings out through this_. She had ignored the incredulous looks she had received from both father and son. While his father had given him a well-made custom katana, she had given a diary. It would seem that she had discovered the offending object whilst she had done some cleaning in the attic a few weeks back. Uchiha Mikoto was quite the stubborn woman when she needed to be.

Itachi suppressed a sigh. He might as well get this over with, at least to make his mother at ease. Picking up a pencil, he began. For now, he would take note of things as they came to him. He would need to keep the journal on his person. An attachment to the inanimate object could possibly form, resulting in actually revealing his… _feelings_, so it would be best to keep it from prying eyes. His little brother had quite the curious nature. A boy his age wouldn't just leave the journal alone if left unattended. Speaking of Sasuke, his footsteps were coming closer to the door. Besides their mother, his steps were light.

It didn't take long for his younger brother to appear in his doorway. Still, Itachi chose to not acknowledge his presence for a moment. Admittedly, it was quite fun to tease him a bit. As they were close in age, their relationship was close as well. However, Sasuke was still a child. He was ignorant to how things worked for now, and so… some distance was necessary. "Nii-san…!" He made himself known. Still, Itachi did not move to greet him. Most likely, he had wanted help with his training. Again. It was getting harder and harder to refuse him. To keep a distance. Really, it was _for_ Sasuke—this double-edged sword. Itachi hid the frown before it surfaced on his face. He then shifted his attention back to his younger brother, whom seemed to be enjoying saying his name over and over again. From high-pitched to low-pitched, from drawling to speaking quickly, Sasuke said his name in many ways. Then finally, he shouted. "WEESAALLL!"

"What is it?" Itachi responded coolly despite something inside of him snapping. Slowly, he turned to face his brother, whom looked momentarily flustered. His chubby cheeks had gained a pinkish hue to them. His hands fiddled behind his back nervously. "Yes…? Did you need something of me?" The younger of the two siblings raised his shoulders and lowered his head.

"… Hi…" Sasuke greeted. Itachi succeeded in not twitching. Instead, he stood up and told the tyke that he was leaving. He smoothly walked out of the room, not waiting to see if the boy had heard or not. "Wait, Nii-san!" he cried out. Although Sasuke could quite irritating with his antics, his behavior was quite refreshing as of late. Many around him, he could tell, merely wanted to get into his good graces. Including his own family, save his father and mother. Just because he had been labeled a prodigy, they treated him differently. They forced his expectations upon him not caring that he had to throw away any forms of a normal childhood. Sasuke was different. He looked up to his older brother—genuinely admired him. He didn't do it because he was jealous. He didn't do it because he _had_ to either. He respected him because he _wanted_ to. "Seriously! Hold on, Itachi!" Sasuke exclaimed, stomping his right foot. The older of the siblings stopped at the front door. He sat down to remove his slippers. "I… I finally mastered the Fireball Jutsu! I even showed father! He was _proud_ of me!"

"Very good, Sasuke," Itachi told him. He gave a small smile, which the younger boy returned with a wide grin. "That is the reason you barged into my room?" Sasuke's brow furrowed and a frown crossed his face.

"Hey, the door was open!" he protested. Itachi stopped himself from chuckling. His brother was so serious it was cute. "Anyway, I was hoping that you would show me some more fire jutsu…" Sasuke shifted his weight from his left foot to his right, feeling feeble under the intense gaze he had been placed under. It was just an effect he had on most people. If not all.

"Did you learn the Uchiha's rite of passage by yourself?" Itachi asked. Sasuke slowly nodded his head. The older sibling gestured for the younger to come closer. The boy's face lit up with a smile. He rushed forward, anticipating a day with his brother. However, two fingers collided with his head, halting his steps. Itachi forced himself not to roll his eyes as his younger brother stumbled back. Sasuke fell for that every single time. Grumbling, he rubbed his forehead questioning his intention behind the action. "If you would only stop falling for it, little brother, I would cease such actions." His pout became visible.

"Are you going to teach me or not?!" he asked hotly.

"Now why would I do that?"

"Because you're my _dear_ and _loving_ older brother!"

"Say what you will," Itachi replied. Sasuke glowered. "If you can accomplish the Fireball Jutsu without help, then you can learn other fire jutsu… without help," he continued. The boy nodded his head, yet grumbled. The older of the two stood up, having had already placed his shoes on. "Work hard, little brother. I look forward to seeing your progress." With that being said, Uchiha Itachi closed the front door behind him. He faintly heard his brother call him 'weasel.' However, that didn't stop him from smiling.

Walking through the Uchiha district, he wondered what he could do to pass the time today. Shisui still hadn't returned from his mission. Also, Itachi didn't have any missions today either. Training seemed out of the question as well. Sasuke would most likely track him down. The boy had a knack for finding him, after all. Most of the time, Itachi did not mind. Today, though, he felt necessary to just _relax_. It wasn't often that he could. The entrance to the district grew closer with each step he took, and yet he had yet to decide his destination. Perhaps he should head into town to try to find adequate weapons for himself.

Or maybe it was better to find a quiet spot to rest and write a bit more? His mother would like that. Itachi let his feet guide him down a much different path from town. Admittedly, he had never gone down this road before. He imagined that no one of the Uchiha clan felt any need to. There was a forest up ahead, much too dense for training purposes. Still, his curiosity had been sparked. Not bothering to turn around, he continued onward.

Stopping at the very edge, Itachi narrowed his eyes. He could see why most wouldn't bother to go any further. Getting through such a forest would require flexibility and effort. Effort and the majority of Uchiha didn't get along so well… However, Itachi wasn't the average Uchiha. He went right through. Twisting and turning his body, the young Uchiha made his way. _"How peculiar,"_ he thought. The Leaf village's woodland shouldn't have been able to flourish in this manner. His intellect levels were high enough to conclude that this wasn't the work of nature. Itachi triggered his advanced bloodline. His lips parted slightly in surprise. Chakra residue was everywhere around him. Faint as it was, it was still there. Someone had forged this forest and it had been done a long time ago. _"But for what purpos__e…?" _Also, who had had the capacity to do this? _"Hashirama-sama…" _The First Hokage had such abilities. Finally, Itachi broke through the condensed forest.

What he came upon was a strange structure. It stretched up high. He inspected it, noting that it was also made of wood, along with rock. Perhaps it was another man-made creation. Deciding to examine it further, Itachi began walking around. Its shape seemed to be of a cylinder. Before he could go further, a familiar sound entered his ears. It was the sound of snoring. There was a person nearby. As he moved, stealth-mode in full affect—that was something Shisui said often, not him, honestly—another sound was heard. _"Purring…? A cat, then?"_ There was something few knew about Itachi. He like cats—adored them, really. It was a trait he had picked up from his mother. However, cats did not like him for some reason. It was a sad… sad fact.

At any rate, both noises were coming from the same area. From his vantage point, Itachi couldn't see who or what was responsible for the noises because the width of a tree. Moving closer, he silently peeked around. There, lying down, head at the base of the tree, was a young girl. Also, a small black cat slept peacefully beside her. The young Uchiha leaned forward, noticing the dark spots. Strange markings for a cat. _"It's a leopard__ cub__,"_ he deducted. Against his better judgment, Itachi knelt down to get a closer look. He had never seen one as they weren't indigenous to the Fire Country. A summoning—it had to be. His eyes shifted to the girl. As it were, she didn't seem native to the Leaf village either. Her skin tone was darker than tan. He had come across a few ninja like this, but they had hailed from the Hidden Cloud Village. That village was known to infiltrate other ninja villages in the hopes of gaining secrets and/or techniques to have an advantage. _"A spy…?" _was his first thought. Then _"No…"_ The girl was too young, looking to be Sasuke's age. Besides that, her appearance was ignorant of the world around her. It was the same look he had seen in children her age—children whom had only been enrolled in academies. Inexperienced. So carelessly sleeping in a man-made forest not knowing of danger—she reminded him so much of his younger brother.

Itachi focused on the structure to his left. Perhaps this girl knew something of this place. Suddenly, the purring stopped. The soft snores had stopped as well. Everything, even time, seemed to have stopped. The young Uchiha could feel his heart rate increase in preparation. If he hadn't been so experienced, his nose certainly would have been damaged due to the girl's punch. Deep blue eyes glared fiercely. Sharp teeth sank into his arm. It hurt, but its little fangs wouldn't do much damage. "Who… the heck are you?" she asked, seemingly annoyed that her fist was caught before reaching the target. He had been wrong. This expression on her face told him that she wasn't so simple-minded. Her feline pet growled. For a moment, the three were still in a tense mood. Then the girl's upper lip twitched before her mouth formed a snarl. Apparently, she didn't like to be kept waiting. "I asked a question!"

"It is I that should ask the questions," Itachi told her. "Are you a foreigner? Why are you here?" Instead of answering right away, the girl chose to lift her leg in an attempt to strike him. The shinobi hastily moved away to avoid the heel of her foot. The black leopard's fangs were dislodged and the girl quickly stood up. She pointed a menacing finger. She must have been the dramatic type.

"I'm not a foreigner! I was born and raised in the Leaf village! Why are you on _my_ _property_?!" she hissed. Then her eyes widened. "You're Uchiha, aren't you?!" Her stance had faltered a bit. Had she seriously been thinking that she would fight him? "Don't deny it! I can spot Uchiha clan members a mile away! Literally, actually…"

"Where do you reside, little girl?" Itachi questioned.

"Little?! I'm seven! I'm not little!" she nearly screeched. Quite the sensitive one she was. Still, he had been right about her age. "Which Uchiha are you?"

"Tell me who you are," he ordered.

"I asked you first."

Itachi remained quiet for a moment. Despite his skill level, he was not well-trained in interrogation. That required another set of skills entirely. And against this opponent, things would not turn in his favor. It was probably best to give and take. It was clear that she wasn't going to answer his questions until her own curiosity had been quelled. "My name is Uchiha Itachi. I have-" He stopped, hearing a muffled noise come from the girl. Her hand shot up to cover her mouth. The young shinobi blinked in perplexity. Had the girl been trying not to… _laugh_? Had he said something humorous?

"No, no! Ple-Please continue… _Itachi_-san." She choked while saying his name, and then burst into laughter. The girl had even fallen over, kicking her legs up in mirth. The black leopard seemed to be in a similar state. Itachi, not used to others laughing in his presence, could only stand there askance. Eventually, the girl stopped her laughter and stared up, tears sliding down her grinning face. He felt his eyebrow twitch twice. Quite the feat, actually. Only Sasuke had managed to accomplish such a thing. "Hehehe… weasel." Again, he twitched. "Was your mom caught in a genjutsu when she came up with your name?" she asked, rubbing at her cheeks.

"No, and my father named me."

"Oh… Well, that's weird…" she muttered. Itachi furrowed his brow, wondering why she had thought it had been weird for a father to name his child. "Anyway, that was some laugh, right, Nana-chan?" Her eyes focused on the cub by her side. The black leopard nodded it's head.

"I am pleased to be the source of your entertainment," Itachi remarked sarcastically. "Now, it is only polite to tell me your name upon learning mine."

"Even though I probably shouldn't be telling you this…" she began. Nana, her cub, jumped on the girl's right shoulder. She pointed a thumb at herself, appearing quite proud. "Ishikari Mayu's the name, kicking the bad guy's _censored_ is my game!" Did she just expurgate _herself_? "Put 'er there, weasel boy!" Itachi blinked twice at her extended hand. He did not know this girl. He did not know where she had come from. However, one thing was certain.

This meeting would change everything.

0-0

He almost couldn't believe he was doing this of his own free will. This was quite disappointing. Generally, he could easily stifle the feeling known as curiosity. However, since he had met that strange girl, Itachi found himself drawn to this place. Their first and previous encounter had ended on a less than satisfactory term. Despite the conversation, the girl, Mayu, had not revealed her origin. He had been led to believe that she had merely played in this area after having discovering it at the age of five. Her story fit, but hadn't been credible to his ears. The way the girl had scratched her cheek as she explained caused the young Uchiha to doubt her. There was something else about this place. He had intended to find out, but after the first encounter, he had not come upon her, or her black leopard cub, again.

Itachi came to a stop, eyes surveying the area. As was the last time he visited, the girl's presence remained missing. The young ninja sighed through his nose. "How idiotic…" he murmured. Wasting his time like this, it wasn't a good past time. Still, the girl had appeared in his mind at random times in the days that had followed. It had been a slight annoyance, one he had hoped to get rid of by meeting her again. He believed that satisfying his curiosity would be an easy thing to accomplish—if only he could meet with her again and realize that she was just another girl. That didn't seem as though it would happen any time soon, though. Perhaps she had only been a tourist. Itachi turned, intending on leaving the thick forest. However, something in the area had shifted. He quickly side-stepped, avoiding the pink object that had come from above. The object was a balloon. It had exploded upon impact, decorating the ground with bright red paint. The shinobi stared for a moment, feeling his eye twitch.

"_Awww_! You weren't supposed to move!" The pouty voice had come from above as well. Itachi looked up, only to have another balloon collide with his face. The reaction was a bit delayed. His forehead had been struck, leading the paint to splatter on his face and hair. Vision momentarily blurred, Itachi could only hear the girl land beside him. "_Haha_! Got you that time!" Slowly, the ninja reached up to wipe—smear, rather—the paint from his face. He tilted his chin back down to stare at the grinning younger female. "Anyway!" Apparently, she was going to ignore the incredulous glare being directed her way. "Why do you keep coming here? It's been, like, two weeks!"

Two weeks…? Is that how much time had passed? He had come here, on his own accord, for two weeks. Itachi frowned. He would need to speak with the Hokage about assigning him more missions soon. This couldn't be healthy. "I… am curious," he stated. The girl, Mayu, snorted lightly. It would seem that she didn't possess basic manners. "It is natural for me to feel this way. You have appeared out of nowhere again."

"I was only sleeping," she replied with a roll of her eyes. "I didn't appear from nowhere. I live up-" She abruptly stopped, high and mighty stance faltering. "Uh… Anyway-" Her eyes averted for just a moment. "Why do you _care_?"

"I am curious," Itachi repeated.

"Yeah…? Well, curiosity killed the cat."

"I'm afraid I have to disagree. Curiosity was framed. Stupidity killed the cat."

To Itachi's surprise, the girl smiled. Her hand slipped from her hip and her body relaxed. "I think I'm going to like you, Weasel-san," Mayu said. Her smile turned slightly devilish. Itachi had to stop himself from showing displeasure. He, instead, corrected her on his name. She only stared back with a raised brow. "That's what I said—weasel." His lips became pursed. "So… _Um_… I'm sorry about the paint. You're a Leaf ninja, right? That's cool. My uncle's one, too."

"I have not heard of anyone with your surname before."

"Well, my uncle doesn't really like being the center of attention. He keeps a low profile, so I'm not surprised you haven't heard of him," she said, lifting her shoulders once. Her blue eyes glanced down, gaze at his feet. "Nana-chan, come from behind him. I'm not going to push him so he could trip over you anymore." Itachi followed her gaze to see the black leopard moving around his feet. He repressed the urge to scold the girl for her antics. First paint, and then a violent prank—just who did this girl think she was? A pest, if Itachi had to guess. His focus went back to Mayu. The cub climbed on the girl's shoulder again before hissing at him. "_Shush_, Nana-chan! It's okay."

Felines were silent by nature. Even heightened senses had trouble detecting their presence. Perhaps this girl and cub had a deeper connection, and maybe that is why he could not find her for two weeks. She could have been here the entire time. However, she had hidden herself well much like a cat. _"A useful ability,"_ Itachi mused in thought. He watched the girl lightly tease her pet. _"If her family member truly is a ninja of the Leaf, then she poses no threat."_ For a moment, his eyes shut. In the end, perhaps that had been the reason the girl had been on his mind. He had not known her affiliation; therefore, he had not known whether she was a danger to the village. Now his mind had become content, he could move on with his life.

"Hey, my home is… near. I'm sure you can get cleaned there," Mayu snapped his out of his musings. The girl looked away as though embarrassed. "It's in your pretty hair and clothes. I'm sorry." Itachi remained silent for a time. He was partly annoyed that she had referred to his hair as 'pretty.' Still, she had offered to make amends for doing such a thing to him in the first place. It would be impolite to refuse. He found himself nodding his head to answer. The girl's face lit up in delight. "Great! Hey, how old are you, anyway?"

"I am eleven years of age," Itachi told her. The ecstatic expression transformed into confusion. "What is it?"

"… Nothing… I guess," she muttered, narrowing her eyes. She seemed a bit suspicious despite her claim. "It's just… I thought you were older—_a lot_ older." Mayu turned her back to him, heading towards the strange structure, which had seemed to be in the center of the heavily dense forest. Itachi nodded, and then followed after the girl. When she had stopped, he initially believed that she would start to climb the man-made creation. Conversely, she performed a set of hand signs, mumbling something he could not understand. Before his very eyes, a path had been revealed. The girl had just dispelled a high level illusionary jutsu. Mayu pointed at the stone steps, which lead up. "My mom and dad are probably still sparring in the backyard, so I'll sneak you in through the front. My other relatives are working right now, so we don't need to worry about them. I think Granny Yuri is taking a nap right now, too. So let's go."

The hidden steps and the girl's words had only heightened his curiosity. Itachi's feet moved to follow the girl up, and his mind questioned many things as they moved. This situation was too bizarre for his liking. Why was a home hidden with a genjutsu—a genjutsu that even his eyes hadn't been able to detect? When the two prepubescent strangers reached the top, the black leopard cub jumped from the girl's shoulder. Itachi tore his gaze away from the small animal and looked ahead. They were about to pass a red shrine gate. Beyond that was a traditional house. Mayu led him to the front door. He couldn't help but notice the crest. Black felines were entangled in the crest, appearing almost like mitsudomoe.

"You live here." It was more of a statement than a question. Mayu had only chose to take it as a question.

"Well, _duh_…!"

"Do you live in secrecy? How many people know of this place?" Itachi inquired. The girl only _shushed_ him as she slid open the door. The young shinobi narrowed his eyes, feeling a bit insulted. Not even his own mother still shushed him. They walked in silence for a time. As with all foreign places, this house felt like a maze. Eventually, though, Mayu stopped again, peeked inside of a room, and then stepped inside, motioning for him to do the same. They were standing in a kitchen, equipped with a sink and refrigerator. _"In such a__ remote location, there is still power here?"_

"You can wash your face there," Mayu stated, pointing at the sink. Itachi did not move from where he stood. "Stop gawking and get it over with!" She rudely grabbed his wrist and dragged him over to the sink. Then she turned on the faucet. "Can't have you going back home looking ridiculous, can we?"

"And who is the one responsible for my appearance?"

"I'm guessing your _mom_," came the cheeky retort. Forcing himself not to scowl, Itachi began to splash water on his face. Water repeatedly hit his face until he was satisfied there was no paint remaining. His hair and clothes were going to have to wait until he returned home. He turned the running water off and looked to his right. Mayu stood there, holding a towel. He took it, saying his thanks. After he was finished drying his face, he returned the green towel. "Come on. I'll show you my room." She tugged at his wrist again and led him down a hallway. She seemed to believe he had lost his ability to walk on his own. The girl opened another door, and then pushed the ninja inside.

"You are rude," Itachi couldn't help but announce.

"No. I'm just socially awkward," Mayu countered, grinning. The shinobi opened his mouth to retort, but words had left him. She closed the door behind her, and then walked further into the room. Sitting down, she motioned for him to do the same. "So… Tell me about yourself, Weasel-san!"

"Why should I?" Itachi asked. He wasn't going to continue to try to correct her on his proper name. Most likely, it would turn into a taxing burden that would heed no positive results. The girl's smile dropped a bit. "I know nothing of you, and yet you wish to reveal myself? As socially awkward as you are, you should at least know-"

"Ishikari Mayu. My parents are Ishikari Mayuka and Ishikari Haruka. I have relatives, but they're always gone. They're all way older than me, too. My favorite color's purple. I love my partner, Nana-chan. I met her when I turned three. I like singing randomly, sparring, messing with my family." Her words were rushed. It was a wonder how he could still understand. "I also like reading, mostly action stuff with mysterious mysteries to solve. My hobbies include pulling pranks, dancing, oh, and I like eating, too. Basically, I'm just a normal kid!" Itachi's eyebrow twitched. There was nothing _normal_ about her. "Now that you know about me, tell me about _you_!" she ordered. "It's only fair." Mayu nearly bounced in her excitement. Why? One could only wonder.

"Very well," Itachi reluctantly agreed. "They call me Uchiha Itachi."

"That's not your real name?"

"… It is."

"Then why'd you say 'They call me Uchiha Itachi?'" The little girl had the nerve to imitate his voice. Though the imitation had been horrendous, it still stirred irritation within him.

"Will you allow me to continue without interruption, Mayu-san?"

"Go for it," she replied.

Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, Itachi went on. He had a feeling that the girl would interrupt yet again. Still, it wouldn't do any good to try to prevent such an occurrence. Mayu seemed to be the bratty type. If she and Sasuke happened to meet, they would get along swimmingly. Their desire to irk him was the same. "As I was saying, my name is Uchiha Itachi. Recently, my curiosity has brought me here. Over the course of time after our initial encounter, I had become quite intrigued with you and this place. I-"

"Dude-" As expected, she cut in. "-Why are you talking like that?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're talking like… like Uncle Mori when he's trying to be serious. He's like thirty-something."

"Do not be absurd," Itachi advised, frowning. He spoke perfectly well. However, she seemed to be accusing him as though his manner of speaking had been a bad thing.

"There! That! What eleven-year-old says 'absurd?' I _barely_ know what that means!"

"I'm sure there are quite a few things you barely know the meaning of."

If she heard his whispered retort, she didn't react to it. Mayu went on as though he hadn't said a thing. "I don't want to hear about that silly curiosity stuff! I want to know about _you_. What's your favorite color? What are some things you like to do in your free time? Besides the whole stalking thing, I mean." Deciding to ignore her last remark, Itachi gave an answer… that obviously did not satisfy her insatiable curiosity. He was a shinobi. A color one favors was not needed in his life. That is what he had told her. "Lame," she told him. The young ninja almost scowled. "So then, what are your hobbies?"

"Missions."

"Missions…?" Mayu repeated less than pleased. "Missions are _jobs_! You _have_ to do missions. What do you _want_ to do? What do you do when you're not on missions?"

"… I write in my journal." The girl blinked slowly as though she couldn't fathom what she had just heard. Then she seriously—or sarcastically—asked if had a proper childhood. "The moment I became a ninja is the moment I was not seen as a child." She opened her mouth to say something, but her lips closed before words managed to slip out. She turned her head away, gaze on the floor. Guilt had taken a hold of her cheery demeanor. Without warning, Itachi found himself in her embrace. He could only sit there, stunned by her sudden behavior.

"You… You don't have to act like this around me," Mayu whispered. She pulled away and looked him right in the eye. "When you're here, with me, you can act as childish as you want. We won't judge you or expect you to act a certain way. You can be a kid."

"I'm not sure I understand, Mayu-san," Itachi responded. The girl lightly kissed his cheek. He felt something akin to culture shock. "What are you doing?!" Just a bit, his voice increased in volume.

"As of now, you're my precious friend," Mayu stated. "Whenever you're here, you're free to be yourself. _Not_ a ninja."

"You… You cannot decide things on your own."

"It's already been done." She waved off his protest as though it were merely a bothersome fly. The girl stood up and smiled. "I don't care who you decide to be outside of this place, but… please lower your guard when you're here. I want my first friend to be as comfortable as possible when he's a guest. You can-" Before she could finish, the door to her room opened.

"Mayu, what do you want for…" A man's voice trailed off. Itachi turned his head, getting a good look at the man. He stood over one hundred and seventy centimeters. He had dark brown eyes, ivory skin, and dark brown hair. Most of his short hair had covered his right eye. "D-Dad…?!" Mayu squeaked. This man was the girl's father? Well, Itachi supposed there were slight similarities between them. If he recalled well, this man was named Haruka. The man opened his mouth. "Wait! I can explain! Just don't tell-"

"MAYUKA!"

"-Mom," Mayu finished flatly. She smacked her forehead with her palm. "I am so gonna get it." The young shinobi looked back and forth between father and daughter. Both flushed for different reasons. Itachi stood, completely facing the man before bowing. Before he could attempt to apologize for not introducing himself sooner, Haruka silenced him, ordering him not to speak. "Oh no… If he's like this, mom's really going to flip." Those foreboding words did not quell his feeling of nervousness.

0-0

"So… you are a ninja of the Leaf, are you?" Haruka asked. His stare was quite intense. Itachi had been sitting in a different room for roughly twenty minutes. A woman, after yelling a few things in a language he could not understand, had dragged Mayu away. The woman must have been her mother since her appearance was strikingly uncanny to Mayu's. If that was so, then the woman must be called Mayuka. The three were family. However, they were quite the rambunctious family, much livelier than his own family.

"Yes, this is correct," Itachi answered, keeping his gaze lowered. Still, he could tell that a frown had been directed his way. It was only natural for the man to regard him with suspicion. A stranger had been alone with his daughter and he hadn't the slightest clue of it. Truly, it hadn't been his fault. It was his daughter that forced him here. The man then asked if he had belonged to the Uchiha clan. "This is also correct. Uchiha Itachi is my name."

"_Pfft_…!" Itachi's lips pursed yet again. It had been the same—the same reaction Mayu had given him upon learning his name. Gods, were the members of this family so simple-minded? It was just a _name_. Besides, Haruka shouldn't have been able to poke fun at another person's name seeing as how he had been given a _female_'s name. Still, he must have noticed the twitch because he cleared his throat and sighed slowly, appearing quite deep in thought. "How is it… that you have stumbled across this place?" Haruka asked. "Although I knew that someone would eventually happen up this place, I am curious as to how _you_ came across my home."

"It had been a mere coincidence that I had walked down this road, which led to the forest surrounding your home," Itachi began. "I did not know of this place two weeks ago when I happened upon your sleeping daughter."

"Two weeks ago…? I told that girl not to fall asleep under that damn tree…" Haruka grumbled. He grabbed his head as if he could feel a headache forming. Surprisingly, Itachi felt himself relating to the man. "Let me guess… You were intrigued by Mayu because you had not seen someone of her complexion in the Leaf village, right? And to your knowledge, there are rare to none outsiders this far out from town, so why is a strange girl where she shouldn't be?"

"Yes. After my first encounter with your daughter, I came back to the same spot for two weeks," Itachi confirmed. "For two weeks, your daughter came to mind at the most inopportune time. Thinking back, it was foolish of me. Normally, I would gather all information in the surrounding area. But because of your daughter-"

"How old are you, Itachi-kun?" Haruka asked.

"I am… eleven of age," he replied, confused as to why the man had suddenly asked him such a question.

"Eleven…?!" he repeated incredulously. "I thought you were, at least, sixteen!"

"Your daughter had also made that false speculation," Itachi stated. "I assure you that I am only eleven."

"You talk like an elderly person… No, not even Mayuri speaks that way…"

"_Like father, like daughter…"_ Itachi thought, slightly narrowing his eyes.

He briefly wondered if the mother acted in the same way. He didn't have time to ponder such things because at that moment, the woman came into the room, catching his attention. Unlike before, her expression had become calm, almost solemn. Haruka stood up, prompting Itachi to do the same. Mayu closed the door as her mother walked over to her husband, and then sat. "All of you… sit." This was not a suggestion. Rather, it was an order. This woman had an air to her. Her very presence demanded authority. Her husband and daughter did as she had ordered without question. Itachi felt it was better to do the same. For a time, only silence was exchanged. This atmosphere was familiar to the young ninja. On the rare occasions that his family would dine together, it had been like this.

Mayu, he noted, had not said one cheeky remark yet. This must have been a serious matter. Mayuka suddenly let out a sigh, drawing his attention to her. "What is your name, Uchiha?" she questioned. Itachi had felt a bit wary stating his name again. Would she react in the same manner her husband and daughter had done? Reluctantly, he did answer her truthfully. "Uchiha Itachi, you say…?" She didn't even blink upon hearing his name. "My daughter has told me that you've been stalking her for two weeks." The young shinobi tried hard not to purse his lips again.

"Stalk… isn't the word I would use, Ishikari-san," he said.

"Be that as it may, you must have realized what you've stumbled upon," Mayuka said. "A secret that has been hidden for generations—you have come across this secret. It will remain a secret because you will not tell anyone, am I clear?"

"Yes, I understand, Ishikari-san. However… The Hokage-"

"Already knows," she cut in. "You may speak with him on this matter if he so wishes it. Anyone else, I'm afraid you will be taken care of. Do you understand what I am telling you?"

"… Yes…" Itachi nodded his head.

"Good. Good, I'm glad we're on the same page, Itachi-kun," Mayuka lost her serious look and smiled. "Now, onto what I really want to discuss with you. Why is there paint in your hair and clothes?" It took a beat, but the young ninja took the time to narrow his eyes in Mayu's direction. This was answer enough because the woman chuckled lightly. Her commanding aura had completely evaporated. "It has come to my attention that my daughter is… lonely," she went on. "As I cannot provide her with siblings at this point, she has no one her age to socialize with. Because of who she is, she has no other friends. I'm assuming that her reason for bringing you here has to do with that. She wants to befriend you, Itachi-kun."

"I…" Honestly, he didn't know how to respond.

"As you are a ninja, I know my request is asking too much, but… if the Hokage allows, will you remain her friend? I was a fool to think my daughter could live as I did before my brother was born. She is quite the impatient one."

"You'll hear no complaint from me," Itachi replied, earning him a scandalized look from Mayu. He ignored it. "Your family is a secret… May I know the secret?"

"If the Hokage allows it."

"Does this mean you'll be my friend for reals, weasel boy?" Despite the rude way she had addressed him, her eyes were hopeful. So this had been the reason for her dragging him here? She had lived a life without friends all her life. She was selfish and impulsive because of it. However, he could clearly see why now. Refusing the offer of friendship seemed just as selfish as offering it. If he refused, more than likely, he would not be allowed to come here again. It was though Itachi had been driven into a corner. Still, it wouldn't hurt to have more information.

"Yes, I will become your friend, Mayu-san," he said.

"All right!" Mayu yelled, punching the air. "I am so glad! But that means you can't wear a mask around me! You have to be a kid, too!"

"I'm aware that I'll have to bring my maturity level down to match yours, yes."

"What the _fu_-"

"Mayu!" Mayuka scolded her daughter. The girl glowered lightly before the grin came back. She then declared that she would be the greatest best friend he would ever have. That was highly unlikely if Shisui had anything to say about it. But perhaps it was better to let the girl dream. "Welcome to our family, Uchiha Itachi." The young ninja—no, the young boy shifted his focus to the mother of his new friend.

"I am honored."

0-0

_Present__…_

Sasuke flipped to the next page, only to discover that the next page was blank. He flipped another page. It was blank as well. His hands gripped the book in slight annoyance. The rest of the journal was completely blank. The Uchiha glowered down at the blank pages. How was he supposed to figure anything out when his brother had decided to stop writing in the damn thing? But… He supposed it made sense. The Ishikari clan was a secret. After getting to know them, Itachi wouldn't go jotting down his findings if there was a chance someone could happen upon his journal. He sighed heavily. Why did Ishikari Morino expect him to find Mayu's trigger with such little information? Sasuke sighed, and then harshly flipped the next page, unintentionally tearing the paper. Annoyed, he completely tore the page from the book. It was then that he noticed more writing.

However, this style of writing was different from his brother's style of writing. Where Itachi's handwriting had been neat and smooth, this handwriting was uneven and a bit messy. The words were strange, too. _I can't believe you just left your diary here!_ It was though a child as written them. Well, someone younger than Itachi had been, of course. Sasuke's eyes roamed over the page, trying to find an indicator of who the writing might belong to. He found him relatively quickly. After all, the writer had blatantly written her name after writing down snide remarks about the diary's true owner. _"Mayu…"_ he thought, eyes expanding. There was that, but there was also the date of the entry. It had been three weeks before the annihilation of the Uchiha clan, Sasuke deducted. The ninja swallowed hard, deciding to keep reading.

0-0

_Eight years ago…_

Mayu gleefully stopped writing, thinking about what to write next. She grinned, and then started again. To avoid extreme backlash from her friend, she probably needed to state that she did not go looking at his past entries to his diary. She would have to force herself not to look, too. Maybe this was all some sort of test. Ever since Itachi met her uncle, he liked to give tests at random. And if she were to flunk his tests, she would get the dreaded paper fan. The girl pouted just thinking about it. Honestly, she could feel herself beginning to hate the Uchiha family crest. That… wasn't the only reason, though. Awhile back, Itachi's dad visited this place. Uchiha Fugaku was a man Mayu found herself to dislike. Her friend's behavior had changed drastically in the presence of his own dad. She hadn't liked it. But things were going to be okay in the future. Eventually, Itachi wouldn't have to go back to him.

Frowning, the girl tucked the small diary away in the darkness. She would write again soon. Right now, though, she had to maintain focus. She was in the middle of planning a game of hide and go seek. She had been hiding for about an hour now. The game was used for practice, really. Her stealth skills had grown since she had gotten a ninja as a friend. Because of him and his paper fan, Mayu had learned the hard way to keep hidden. Being undetectable was something her mother had taught her at an early age. Still, Itachi managed to find her sooner or later. The door was abruptly pulled opened, revealing her best friend's glare. Okay, so maybe… this wasn't an actual _game_ at the moment.

Truthfully, she was hiding from the older boy's wrath. See, she had placed a balloon, filled with brown paint, on his chair right before he sat down on it. It had been hilarious. When he had sat, the popping of the balloon sounded much like a fart. Equipped with the brown paint, it had seemed that Itachi had pooped on himself. Her mom and dad couldn't stop laughing. But Itachi did not find it half as amusing. Well, he shouldn't have pushed her in that hive of bees last week. It's had been his _own_ fault. Because of him, she was sure she now had a phobia of bees. Of course she had to pay him back. He had been _lucky_ that paint was _all_ he got. Still, she had felt a bit guilty. Itachi disliked being humiliated in front of her mom.

Without a word, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her from the safety of the closet. Fake tears wouldn't work on someone as ruthless as Itachi, so Mayu had to come up with another plan. "Itachi-_kun_…! I didn't mean anything by it!" In the meantime, she had to appear apologetic. He wasn't having that, though.

"Shut up and move your ass," Itachi replied. Mayu instantly lost her remorseful look and scowled. He hadn't even turned around to look at her. The preteen had continued pulling her along. Still, she struggled to get away from him. She knew exactly where he planned to take her—to her _doom_. The paper fan hadn't been used for senseless smacking, so she could assume that the fan was not with him. Getting smacked with a paper fan was _not fun_.

"NO!" Mayu shouted. Finally, she managed to get her arm free. Itachi merely turned around, still glaring. "It was only paint! I could have used _rotten_ eggs, you know!"

"And I _could_ kill you!" he retorted.

"_Ooh~_! I'm _scared_!" came the sarcastic drawl. She had known Itachi for roughly two years now. His various and numerous death threats were invalid, thus they weren't taken seriously. But this time, though, there was some kind of glint in his left eye. It freaked the young girl out somewhat. She took four steps back because of it. "Now, weasel boy…" Mayu held her hands up in defense. "Think logically about your actions and stop looking at me like that." Her wonderful advice was only met with fingers flexing in her direction. And not the pervy 'I want to grope you' hand motion she had seen her dad do to her mom a couple of times to which her mom giggled coyly and made the same motion towards him. Gross. No, the way Itachi did it made it horribly clear that he wanted to wrap his fingers around her fragile neck. Without further ado, Mayu made a hasty retreat into her parents' room.

This proved to be an error in judgment because her dear sweet parents simply ignored the two children running around their futon. Heck, they barely moved to acknowledge them. Even when their only daughter pleaded for help, her mom had only waved a dismissive hand, and then had snuggled closer to her husband. Speaking of her dad, he merely advised the two children to get some sleep. Mayu couldn't believe it. They had laughed their butts off because of her ingenious prank, but did they try to diffuse the situation? _No_! When the two didn't listen and continued to run about the room, her mom sat up. "Get out—the _both_ of you! _Now_!" And just like that, Itachi caught the back of Mayu's shirt. He held her up in the air as if she was just a kitten and he was the mother cat.

"Pardon the intrusion, Ishikari-san. We shall take our leave now," he said, bowing respectfully.

"You're such a suck up, weasel boy." Itachi didn't respond to her quip, and began walking towards the door. He hadn't released her even as he closed the door to her parents' room. He even carried her to her room. He tossed Mayu onto her futon, and then shut the door. Another fake glare was directed her way. The girl crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at him. "What? Still haven't made that bridge yet?"

"You're fortunate that I have changed my attire already," he nearly growled. Mayu almost smiled. He still spoke in such a formal manner, but at least he no longer used monotone. _That_ had been the most annoying thing about him for the first eight months of their friendship.

"Yeah, yeah, weasel!" she rolled her eyes while scratching at her ear. Suddenly, she was smacked upside the head with the dreaded paper fan, which seemed to have materialized out of _nowhere_! "OW! That _hurt_!"

"It is a punishment—it's supposed to hurt," Itachi stated the obvious before smacking her again. And again. And again.

"Quit it, damn you!" Mayu, fed up, tackled the older boy to the floor, causing him to yelp. Generally, she would have just taken the beating, but not tonight! They wrestled for a few minutes, the girl having the upper hand. Itachi had always been crap when it came to _brawling_. She could best him every single time. Even now, she had him in a chokehold, right arm twisted behind his back as she straddled his butt. "Say it! Say it! Say it _right now_!" It took a moment, and a firmer grip, but he did managed to give in.

"I'm… yo-your bitch~!" Itachi wailed. Mayu laughed in triumph, and then released him. She moved off his trembling form. He was so embarrassed, she could tell. He didn't move from his horizontal position, but he did roll over onto his back. He stared up at the ceiling, appearing lost in thought. Actually, he had been doing that a lot lately. His facial expression was unreadable. Back when they had first met, it had been hard to tell what he had been feeling. Overtime, it had grown easier to discern, but… lately, he had been reverting back to his detached self. Mayu hated it when he became this way.

Nana, whom had been in the room the entire time, crawled on top of his stomach and curled up on his stomach. Mayu smiled at the sight. That was usually her partner's sleeping place when Itachi stayed the night. The cub purred loudly as Itachi's fingers reached up to scratch behind her ears. He, however, continued to stare up at the ceiling. "Ne, Itachi…" Mayu began. She moved over and lied down beside him. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing… important…" he answered.

"_Hm_…" The girl's fingers pinched Itachi's cheeks and began pulling them out of proportion. His feeble protests only made Mayu stretch harder. "Don't lie to me!" she ordered. She let him go, leaving him to rub his sore cheeks. They both sat up. Nana didn't appreciate her bed moving around, but she remained in his lap.

"If you must know…" Itachi trailed off for a moment. "I am thinking of the arranged marriage."

"What about it…?"

"How can you ask with such an indifferent tone?" he questioned. "We're getting _married_. We have to be serious-"

"I am serious!" Mayu interrupted. Itachi closed his mouth, most likely because this was one of the rare times that she actually was. "You don't know this, but mom told me about this long before you heard about it. When your father came that third time, mom said it was obvious what he wanted. You told him of my family's abilities because he demanded it of you." Looking slightly guilty, he averted his gaze. "Mom told me that he wanted an alliance between our clans through the marriage of the clan head's children. At first I was like… _ew_. No! I don't want to marry weasel boy!" Itachi looked slightly offended by her words. "But… two days ago, your father came back, letting us both know about his intentions. It was that day that I realized that I could marry you. I love you, Itachi, and I'd do anything for you to be a part of my clan."

"I… I cannot return your feelings, Mayu."

"Do you want to get hit in the face?"

"I'd only dodge your futile attempt."

"Look! That's _not_ what I meant!" The girl had to keep the snarl from her face. "I meant I love you in the way siblings love each other, _doofus_! I see the way you act around your dad. I _don't_ like it. You're happier here, so… if marrying you would allow you just be your own person… then I'd do it."

"At the cost of your own happiness, you would do this for me?" Itachi asked.

"Yes. You are my precious friend. No matter what hidden motives your dad might have, I will do anything for you."

"Hidden motives…?" he repeated. Mayu sighed lightly.

"I don't like your dad. I shouldn't think this way since you came from his loins, but… I think there's something not right about his behavior towards you."

"For a moron, you're very perceptive, Mayu-chan."

"Well, I do try—_hey_!" Itachi let out a cross between a sigh and a chuckle. He ruffled her hair. Mayu immediately swatted his hand away, huffing in annoyance. "Or maybe… You don't want to marry a brat like me? Do you not want me?" Now that she thought about it, marriage would probably ruin his life. Instead of being selfless, maybe she was being selfish. Itachi lightly gripped her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"I will protect you, Mayu," he stated. The girl knitted her eyebrows together. She had no doubt about that, but why was he saying it _now_? Something like that didn't need to be said. Mayu was about to playfully push him away and make light of the situation, but Itachi's next action surprised her into a stupor. He had kissed her… right on the lips. It had been a quick chaste kiss, but it had left her staring in horror. Within her chest, her heart banged against her ribcage. The room had suddenly increased in heat. "Don't look so serious. I wanted to be a bit selfish for a moment."

"Wh-What the hell does that mean?!"

"Now I won't have to worry about another male stealing your first kiss."

"You just wait until Uncle Mori hears about this!"

"He is the one whom told me I could do it, after passing one of his tests, of course."

"This is a conspiracy!"

"This is love."

"You jerk…!" Mayu shouted, punching him. He was out cold, swirling eyes and all. Nana pounced on his lap, curled up again, and then yawned. She had found her sleeping spot again. She didn't seem to care about what just happened. "Damn it!" she grumbled, lying on my futon. Turning her back to the comatose Uchiha, she crossed her arms. "Damn Uncle Mori, damn Uchiha Itachi…! Damn everything…!" She continued to grumble for a few moments before falling silent.

"I meant what I said… Even if you come to hate me, I will always protect you," Itachi whispered. Mayu couldn't help the smile that formed.

"I know."

0-0

_Present_…

Sasuke's frown turned into a full blown sneer. After that, there was nothing left in the journal. His jaw clenched. He had half a mind to throw the black book across the room and watch it slide down the wall, completely damaged beyond repair. Fortunately, he could control that urge. Instead, he let the book fall from his hands. The young Uchiha roughly rubbed his forehead. He still couldn't figure out how this was supposed to help it. In fact, this was probably counterproductive. Now, he could only think of one thing and one thing only. _"__Mayu is engaged to him."_ He swallowed hard, but the murderous feeling didn't go away. _"__He even took her first kiss…!"_ It wouldn't have bothered him so much if it weren't for the fact that he had believed—for _years_—that Mayu and he shared their first kiss _together_. Still, why hadn't Mayu thought to tell him such a _huge_ detail? Was she afraid? Embarrassed? Secretly _hoping_ she still could? Sasuke let out a heavy sigh, deciding that his jealousy was getting to him.

He needed to calm down and think straight. The arranged marriage hadn't been the only thing he had found out. Morino had said that the journal could help him discover the trigger word, which blocked his teammate's memories. So far, Sasuke couldn't come up with anything particular. Mayu had always been strange. A trivial point in time could have been momentously ground-breaking for her. She was _weird_ like that. The young ninja shook his head a bit. He was going off track. There were other things that concerned him. Like his father's involvement with the Ishikari clan. Why had he wanted to form an _alliance_ in the first place? Alliances were generally formed before and during times of _war_. It made no sense to have an alliance with another clan in the _same_ village. Secret or not, both clans resided in the same village, therefore they made them _automatic allies_. What could his father have been thinking? And why did he choose Itachi instead of him?!

Again, Sasuke had to shake his head. Damn hormones.

Dark gaze drifting towards the window, he noticed the sun had already set, probably hours ago. The moon shined brightly despite the cloudy night. For a moment, his eyes closed. This journal had revealed so little, and yet brought about many questions. Most of those questions, if not all, could be answered by Mayu if she hadn't been suffering her amnesia. Sasuke then came to the decision that by himself, he would not be able to figure out the trigger word. Even with Naruto's help, he doubted they could get far. What he needed was a person who knew Mayu the most, besides himself, that is. Then it came to him. During that time, there had been only one who shared the most with Mayu. Hyuga Hinata. That girl knew pretty much everything about her best friend, personality-wise. It should have clicked sooner. If Hinata knew about the trigger, she must be stuck trying to figure it out as well. However, _together_, they had a higher chance of making her remember. Sasuke's gaze fell on the little black book. He almost sneered. It hadn't helped at all. After roughly pushing away the offending object, he rolled onto his side and shut his eyes. With his motivation renewed, sleep came easier.

The dreams, though, did not.

0-0

Okay, I have a serious question. Well, not really. But lately, I've been looking at pictures of the upcoming Naruto movie. _Road to Ninja_. I'm pretty sure you've heard of it, but if not, I suggest finding out. Now, my question is what would Mayu's alternative personality be? And how would RTN Mayu interact with RTN Sasuke? Because, for the looks of it, RTN Sasuke is... a playboy-a ladies' man. I don't know why I just thought of this, but it suddenly came to be as I was revising this chapter.

I would love to read your opinions on this matter... after, of course, reading your opinions on _this_ chapter. :)


	28. Misconception

Sasuke walked down the street, towards the Hokage's office. His hands were shoved in his pockets as he moved with a frown on his face. Team Badass _finally_ had a mission today. A week and a half had passed since the last time the Hokage called for them. Mayu had recovered days ago, too. It was surprising it took this long for the Fifth to assign them a new mission. Naruto's constant complaining about having no missions hadn't helped the wait either. Another thing that hadn't help was the dreams. Annoying dreams. Infuriating dreams that involved his teammate and his older brother nearly drove him _insane_. Without missions to distract him from homicidal thoughts, it had been hard to focus on anything. He wished he hadn't read that stupid journal in the first place. Upon learning of the arranged marriage, his dreams consisted of wedding ceremonious where he _hadn't_ been the groom. Instead, it had always been Uchiha Itachi. Sasuke glowered at recalling the blushing bride. It pissed him off.

But today, his team was getting a mission. He was trying desperately to be optimistic. A distraction was just what he needed. Until then, Sasuke resigned himself to being cranky. His teammates had noticed, but hadn't questioned him. For that, he had been grateful. Well, Naruto and Mayu had been mindful around him. They obviously wanted to pry, but held themselves back, letting him keep himself at a distance for now. Sai, as oblivious as ever, had not restrained himself. Ignoring the atmosphere, the pale ninja would find ways to strike up a conversation, though his attempts were clearly unwanted. Surely, today would be no different. "Good morning, Tori-suke." That voice made the Uchiha sigh internally. Still, his onyx eyes shifted left, settling on Sai, whom walked beside Naruto. Sasuke halted his steps, waiting for his male teammates to catch up with him.

"Mayu's not with you?" Naruto asked, looking around for any sign of the kunoichi. The girl had made a habit of appearing out of nowhere just to scare the crap out of him for a laugh. Albeit, she never laughed, but Naruto was sure that's what she did it for.

"I went to her place, but she wasn't there," Sasuke replied with a shrug. The Uchiha continued to walk, prompting his teammates to follow him. They hastily fell into step with him. Sai kept his gaze on Sasuke as though he were expecting something. Feeling his gaze, the shinobi narrowed his eyes. "What the hell is it, Sai?" On his other side, Naruto almost rolled his eyes. Here we go, he thought. Too bad the mediator wasn't here to stop this from happening. The blond would have tried, but honestly, the interactions between these two were a little funny at times.

"Good morning, Tori-suke," Sai repeated. "Our mission today—what do you think we'll be doing?"

"I don't care."

"But surely you have an opinion. Personally, I believe-"

"No! I _don't_ care! I'm sick your dreadful, pasty white ass!"

Naruto couldn't contain his gasp even if he wanted to. Yeah, his best friend had always been rude, but usually it took some time for his insults to sink in. Sasuke hadn't even tried to sugar-coat it that time. Sai, himself, looked quite taken aback by the harsh words. He stared back at his glaring teammate for a moment in silence. Then, however slight, a look of gloom crossed his facial features. "Why must you hurt me in this way, Tori-suke?" he questioned.

"Yeah, Sasuke! What the fuck's your problem?!" Naruto almost shouted. "He was just trying to be _nice_!"

The Uchiha finally stopped walking, planting his feet firmly against the ground. A long heavy sigh came from his lips before he sharply turned to face his comrades. "My clan is dead. My life sucks. Things don't go my way! I can't find the fucking trigger word! My fiancée wants to marry another man!" As he continued to rant how miserable his life was, Naruto's eyebrows rose. Fiancée…? Where the hell did that come from? "I'm surrounded by morons and shit all the time! I mean, what the _fuck_?!" The blond deadpanned. Was this really happening? Did Sasuke just completely snap?

"I do not understand," Sai admitted. "These statements you're making—haven't they always been a part of your shinobi lifestyle?"

"Yeah, well, I still have nightmares about things I don't want to have nightmares about! Goddamn arranged marriages… fucking smug weasel…" Sasuke's grumbled ceased to make sense. Naruto almost shook his head. "I can't take it anymore…! I _quit_!" The blond shinobi did not stop himself from rolling his eyes. This dramatic side to his friend must have had come from hanging around Mayu too much. Then he made the mistake of mentioning Uchiha Itachi and his desire to end the man's life. "_Fuck_ Itachi! Someone else can have that fight!" Sasuke snarled before continuing down the path.

"And that, Sai, is what we call male PMS," Naruto informed, watching Sasuke stomp dramatically down the path. The pale ninja poked out his bottom lip as he rubbed his chin, a sure sign that he was thinking quite critically on the matter. Naruto took it upon himself to explain. "He's been a little off recently. Haven't you noticed? For the last couple of days, actually." Still, the critical thinking expression remained.

"Perhaps… he is in love?" Sai suggested. Naruto almost tripped over his own foot. "I read a rather peculiar chapter in my current book. It stated that if your friend has suddenly changed their behavior, it is possibly love is contributing to that. A possible rejection could also contribute to this change in behavior." The blond somehow felt extremely guilty. Remembering the way he had been backhanded was still fresh in his mind.

"_Uh_… Maybe we shouldn't as-"

"Perhaps he would like a comforting hug in his time of need?" Sai interrupted with a smile.

"I don't _want_ a hug!" Sasuke stopped in his tracks and glared back at the pale ninja, mentally threatening him to suggest such a thing in his presence again. Sai paid no attention to the displeasure radiating off his irritable teammate. Instead, he walked towards him, arms outstretched. Mayu had used embracing as a form of comfort many times. Many times, it had worked. Certainly, this was an appropriate time to mimic her.

"Give me a hug, Tori-suke," he requested gently. At Sasuke's vehement protest, Sai decided that drastic measures had to be reached. Mayu would do the same if she had been present. The kunoichi was quite steadfast when she wanted something done—an admirable trait, really. "Hugging…!"

No matter the warning, Sasuke could not hope to dodge the embrace. Almost growling, the Uchiha managed to push the pale ninja away before attempting to attack. Sai, however, chose to counter. They went back and forth, defending and striking, not really managing to harm one another. Naruto merely watched this take place, lips parted. Then he sighed. Really, it looked like they were only _slapping_ at each other's hands. So much for the nickname, Team Badass. How was anyone going to take that name seriously if half of the team were acting like _this_?

"Sup, Naruto?"

"Sup, Mayu—_AAAAHHHHH_!" he squealed loudly and stumbled away from his female teammate. She had appeared _right_ beside him without his knowing. Naruto swallowed hard before pointing a finger at the girl. "Don't _do_ that!" Mayu only shrugged, choosing to turn her focus on the squabbling ninja. Secretly, though, she was quite pleased that she had generated such a reaction from her blond teammate. She was going to keep doing it until it had lost its thrill, which was probably never going to happen. Suppressing a grin, she asked what was going on. "To be honest, I have no idea. Sasuke just lost it for no reason!" Naruto sighed again, crossing his arms. "Oh yeah… He said he came to get you, but you were already gone."

"Uncle Mori decided to wake me up at the butt crack of dawn for, what he calls, _much needed bonding_," Mayu scowled. "I'm surprised I made it to you guys before you reached Hokage-sama." She huffed, blowing her bangs out of her face. "I need a haircut," she murmured distractedly. "Anyway, seriously, what's up with them?" Naruto shrugged. "Well, they need to quit it. We're going to be late." Fists pressed against her hips, the kunoichi moved forward. "OI!" Her shout was enough to end the slapping battle between the two. "What is this _rumpus_?!"

"Queen… Tori-suke hit me!"

"Sai invaded my personal bubble!" came the retort.

Mayu rolled her eyes. "Me thinks punishment is in order here," she replied. "How about I drag you to the Hokage's office by your _ears_?!" The two shinobi held back their grimaces, but still frowned. "If you're going to act like children, then I'll treat you like children. Got it?" Sasuke ran his tongue over his front teeth as Sai lowered his head a bit. "Now, can we get a move on? This mission isn't going to finish itself." The kunoichi walked pass them. After a moment, her teammates followed behind. She didn't hear Naruto whisper to Sasuke how whipped he was. She also didn't hear the sound of the backhand that followed.

Finally, the four made it to the Hokage's office. Mayu knocked politely and waited until she was allowed access. Their leader's voice came through the door, and so she opened it. Upon entering the room, she was greeted by Hatake Kakashi, Captain Yamato, too. Blinking in surprise, she walked forward. Admittedly, she hadn't seen either since the death of the Akatsuki member who had infiltrated the village. "Kakashi-sensei…!" Naruto blurted. Apparently, he hadn't either. The jounin gave a two fingered wave.

"What am I—chopped liver?"

"…?!" Naruto pointed a finger at his mentor.

Standing beside his former teammate, Jiraiya smirked at his pupil. He hadn't been the only one in the room, however. Yamanaka Ino also stood beside the Hokage, on her left side. She greeted the team, mostly Mayu, with a wave. The dark-haired kunoichi hesitantly waved back as Jiraiya began speaking. "How's my favorite troublemaker?" he asked, attempting to start light conversation. However, Tsunade purposely cleared her throat before Naruto had a chance to reply. "_Ah_, right…" The Toad Sanin cleared his throat as well and crossed his arms. "Your team will be given a mission of high importance." His tone had been grave, causing the teens of Team Badass to stand up straight, awaiting their orders. It was the Hokage who continued speaking.

"Your mission involves locating and capturing a certain Akatsuki member," Tsunade began, frowning. She sat down in her chair, clasping her hands together against the desk. "As you already know, I had planned to gather a special task force whose sole purpose was to bring in Akatsuki members. That idea was scrapped due to their spy gaining that list of ninja. However, it's time to reconsider that idea… with a different platoon and focus entirely. Recently, I've gained vital information concerning this member of Akatsuki. You must bring him to the village. _Alive_." The way she had stressed 'alive' had caused an uncomfortable feeling to rise in Mayu. Narrowing her eyes, she pushed down the feeling and told herself to pay full attention. Tsunade sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "The person you are looking for is… Uchiha Itachi." Her statement brought on varying expressions of shock. Then several pairs of eyes shifted, uneasily, towards the younger of the last Uchiha. Sasuke, however, fixed his face into a neutral stare. After a few moments of awkward silence, Sai broke the tense atmosphere in favor of asking a question.

"Uchiha Itachi is quite dangerous, Hokage-sama… Would it be wise to send only this team after him?" he inquired. "Also, that organization is targeting a member of this team as well."

"I'm aware," Tsunade stated. "Naruto will be acting as bait to lure Uchiha Itachi. He went after you in the past, right?" The blond ninja stiffly nodded his head. "And, of course, I won't be sending this team out alone. Along with Yamato and Ino-" A knock at the door interrupted the Hokage. Her eyes glanced at the door beyond the team. "Come in!" The door creaked opened, revealing the three faces of Team Kurenai—Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuga Hinata, and Aburame Shino. "Despite being a strong force, this team has impeccable tracking abilities. They will help in the capture of Uchiha Itachi." The two teams regarded one another with mild examination, already coming up with plans on how they would work together. The three entered the room, shutting the door behind them. Briefly, Tsunade filled in the new arrivals about the mission.

"This is all well and good, but how exactly are we going to track this guy?" Kiba questioned. "It's been years since he ditched the village and became a missing ninja. I'm guessing the guy's not exactly easy to find." Tsunade opened her left side desk drawer and pulled out a small plastic bag. She tossed it Kiba's way, to which the young ninja blinked in mild confusion. He held the bag up to his face, eying the content. On a silver chain, a small black key was attached. Beside him, Mayu gasped.

"My uncle's necklace," she exclaimed, moving closer to get a good look. "Wait… He definitely had this on this morning…"

"That key is something Ishikari Morino discovered whilst searching through Akatsuki's hideouts. Your uncle confirmed that that was given to Itachi around his thirteenth birthday." Not knowing that, Mayu could only stare clearly puzzled. "It has his scent on it, so you will use it to track him. Your mission starts in thirty minutes. Dismissed." Her subordinates nodded in confirmation before moving to head out. "Wait, Mayu. I want to speak with you." The kunoichi blinked, and then hesitantly nodded her head. Her teammates gave her wary looks before leaving and shutting the door behind them. Tsunade waited a few moments before continuing. "I want to speak with you about Itachi."

"… Yes?"

"Your uncle has stated that he is, what you call, an honorary member of your clan," Jiraiya stated. Mayu nodded her head again. "Why was he given this title?" The kunoichi averted her gaze for just a second, but the two Sanin noticed the shift right away. "In the history of the Ishikari clan, that title is only given to outsiders who become a part of the clan through… marriage." The girl winced. "Is Itachi… your fiancé?" Her silence had been answer enough. Tsunade closed her eyes and sighed.

"Will this interfere with your mission to bring him in?" she inquired.

"Our past… is our past," Mayu replied carefully. The busty woman smiled, though it was a bit bitter.

"A pleasant lie, that," Tsunade remarked. The kunoichi scratched her left cheek. "However, I will allow it. I know of your relationship with Itachi, and I also know your teammate's relationship with him as well." It didn't need to be said who she was referring to. "I want you to stop him from killing the target… with any means necessary." For a moment, Mayu chewed her lower lip, feeling suspicious. "Your uncle has told us of your… special abilities."

"… I see."

"I don't care how you stop him, just do it. Understand?" This was not a request or a suggestion. This was an order. Mayu had no choice but to comply no matter how much she didn't want to do it. The dark-haired kunoichi lowered her head, nodding. "Good. You're dismissed." She bowed, and then turned on her heel. She was going to have to talk with her uncle about his flapping lips.

Outside, Sasuke was waiting for her. She flinched, despite knowing that she knew the office was soundproof. The young Uchiha pushed himself from the opposite wall, nearly pinning her down with just his stare alone. "What did she say to you?" he asked. The lie slipped from her tongue before she could stop him. With a shrug of her shoulders, the lie came easily enough.

"She wanted to know how Itachi got a hold of my family's heirloom."

"And how did he?"

"I'm not really sure," she murmured. "But I'm guessing that my mom gave it to him before she died." Others would apologize for bringing up a dead memory. Not Sasuke. Because he understood that an apology was meaningless in this circumstance. "So… we better get ready. I smell a storm coming."

"_Hm_."

0-0

As Mayu had, offhandedly, predicted, a heavy rainfall had begun before the team of ten had left the village. It took another five minutes to leave because they had to scramble for proper cover. With hooded cloaks, the platoon had begun their mission. Most had ignored the heavy shower beating down on them. Others had chosen not to comment. Not Mayu. She had begun to voice her complaints only fifteen minutes into the journey. She had complained about the weather, her hair, the smell—to which Kiba glared because he had just _known_ the kunoichi had been referring to him—and not to mention the mud getting _apparently_ everywhere. Her complaints had managed to coax Ino into complaining as well. Finally, Kakashi had had enough, probably due to the bickering that occurred between the two kunoichi in question and… pretty much everyone telling them to shut their teeth. The teams were now gathered in a large shrine, waiting for the storm to subside.

Unfortunately, one kunoichi was still not happy. Sitting down, she held her shivering body. Kakashi had forbid the use of fire in the shrine, so she would just have to deal with the cold. This was the reason Mayu glared at her sensei. The jounin, however, didn't give much of a response. Realizing she wasn't going to get a reaction, she huffed, lowering her fierce gaze to her knees. She clicked her tongue in irritation. Almost thirty minutes later, the kunoichi spoke of her disapproval out loud, demanding that someone come and warm her up immediately. Sasuke moved, but Kiba had been quicker. The Uchiha furrowed his brow, watching the dog-user sit down beside Mayu and wrap an arm around her shoulders. "_Geez_! What's with this attitude?" Kiba asked her. She moved, shifting her body closer. "No wonder that weird guy calls you Queen." Mayu retorted, probably with a wily remark, which made Kiba guffaw. However, Sasuke didn't hear what was said. He silently glared at their backs before sharply turning his gaze to Naruto.

The blond appeared flustered, and then turned his head. That did not stop the young Uchiha from walking over, though. Naruto kept his head turned. "Did you really think no eye contact would prevent me from coming over here?" Sasuke questioned, frowning. Uneasily, Naruto's blue eyes fixed on his best friend's face. He opened his mouth to respond. "Don't bother. What I want to know is what's up with _that_?" By that, he was referring to Mayu and Kiba, whom were practically _cuddling_. Naruto knew. He had seen the whole thing, after all.

"_Uh_… You already know that Mayu used a transportation jutsu that sent her away and erased her memories, right?" he began. That glare only intensified. "Right… _um_… Well, when she came back, she was in the village for a long before I returned myself. I think she said six months had gone by before she saw me. During that time, she only had contact with Hinata and her team, so it's not really a big deal that they're close…" Apparently, it was a _huge_ deal and Sasuke did not like it. Before he could go over and make a scene—honestly, Naruto was expecting it from the very beginning of the mission—Ino unknowingly prevented Sasuke from doing as he pleased by stepping in his line of vision. A light smile appeared on her face and her visible eye seemed to twinkle—with what, he had no idea.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun," she greeted, ignoring the obvious frown on her comrade's face. "This is the first time we've had the chance to work with one another. I hope we get along nicely." Sasuke narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He really hoped that Ino had gotten over her silly crush. He didn't want to deal with that on top of worrying about how close Mayu and Kiba were. When he failed to respond to her hopeful tone, the blond kunoichi lost her smile. "I was surprised when Master Tsunade told me that you were her spy all along. To be honest, when my teammates came back from that mission to retrieve you… I had labeled you as a traitor in my mind. Shikamaru had mild injuries, but Chouji had come back in critical condition. I blamed you for that, you know." Ah. He understood what she was getting at now. Underneath her soft voice had been a glimmer of hostility. "It isn't too often that a ninja just ups and decides to go on a dangerous mission like that, so I'm a bit hesitant on what your intentions are for this-"

"Let's get something straight, Ino," Sasuke spoke up. "I don't care what you think or how you feel." Expectedly, the kunoichi's lip twitched. "That mission was necessary and I'm not going to regret not telling anyone about my intentions in the beginning. Deal with it." Under her cloak, Ino folded her arms, most likely displeased with his blunt words. The young Uchiha almost smirked, noting that everyone had focused their gazes on him. Even the one who had been cuddling with his woman. _Hrm_… So he decided to address them all, though his eyes remained on Ino. "If you're worried about what's going to happen on this mission, then don't. I'm a ninja of the Leaf _first_. You don't have to like me. You don't have to forgive me. But you will have to trust me. _Got_ it?" For a moment, they all just stared at him. As though his words were truly surprising to hear, their eyebrows rose. Then, he noticed the smile on Mayu's face. And suddenly, their stares didn't make him feel so out of place anymore.

The dark-haired kunoichi reared back from Kiba, and then stood up. "Well, now that _that's_ out of the way, we should focus on our mission now." Her blue eyes glanced behind her, outside the shrine. "The rain's letting up, too." Mayu walked further into the shrine towards the older ninja. "Right, Kakashi-sensei…?" The jounin's gaze lingered for a moment longer on his former student before moving over to the smiling girl. He cleared his throat and nodded his head. "So our mission of capturing Uchiha Itachi has formally started. As you'll all aware the organization he is associated with is hell-bent on taking the containers of the tailed beasts—the jinchuuriki—in an effort to extract their bijuu. My uncle has told the Hokage that the Sanbi has already been taken."

"Jiraiya-sama's sources indicate that Akatsuki has now infiltrated the Fire Country and are most likely targeting Naruto," Kakashi went on. "So here's our plan. This shrine will serve as our first center point. We'll do a five kilometer search in every direction. If our search doesn't have good results, we'll relocate and search another five kilometers. We'll repeat the process until we've found our target. Of course, we'll split up to cover more ground."

"Split up…?" Ino repeated. "Isn't that distance too big? I mean, I'm not only here for fighting purposes. How am I supposed to do my primary job if-"

"_Relax_, Ino!" Mayu chided. "Kakashi-sensei knows what he's doing." She furrowed her brow. "Or is your protest not really about your status as the team's healer?" The blond clicked her tongue, fixing her gaze elsewhere. Mayu frowned, yet said nothing more on the subject. Sasuke had his suspicions about the exchange. Ino bore a grudge against him for what had happened to her teammates. It wouldn't be too surprising to find out that she didn't quite trust him to be by himself in this type of circumstance. Kakashi performed the Summoning Jutsu, which called upon his eight ninja dogs. He then went on to explain how the patrols would work. Two dogs to each ninja. Well, not really. Sai, Shino, and Ino would be accompanied by two dogs. Kakashi would have one in his presence, which would Pakkun. The last, and biggest dog, would accompany Naruto, Hinata, and Yamato.

"What about Sasuke, Mayu, and Kiba?" Naruto questioned.

"As Kiba has Akamaru, he doesn't need another nose," Kakashi stated.

"And I'm going with Sasuke, aren't I?"

"Yes. Mayu also has a partner that can be used to track targets, not to mention her own sense of smell is alright, too," the jounin remarked. He nodded his head, silently signaling for the girl to summon her said partner. Mayu did so, bringing her feline partner out. Half of the dogs growled warily and stepped away from the large black leopard. Nana merely regarded them with indifference. "Let begin with our trackers memorizing the scent." Kakashi pulled the small plastic bag from his pocket and opened it, allowing his dogs to get the first whiff, and then Akamaru. He placed the bag in Mayu's palm. "You should hold on to this." The kunoichi slowly nodded her head. "Alright." The man lifted his arm. "Now… Disperse!"

At his command, the platoon separated. Sasuke, Mayu, and Nana landed at the bottom of the shrine's stone steps. Everything was wet from the rain, causing the kunoichi and feline to both scowl. The young Uchiha shook his head and almost rolled his eyes. Mayu was more like a cat than he had realized. So then _why had she snuggled with an obvious mutt_?! He clenched his teeth, hoping that the rage didn't show up on his face. Sasuke walked beside his teammate, whom had decided to ride on her partner's back. For awhile, they moved in silence. It was weird. Generally, Mayu had _something_ to say. Then again, this mission was hitting too close to home. Maybe he should use this chance to distract her? He needed to be distracted, too. "So…" Sasuke began. His voice caused the kunoichi to look his way. "You and Kiba seem close." Honestly, he couldn't stop that from leaving his mouth. Mayu blinked once, and then stared blankly at him. Well, he had already said it anyway, so might as well continue. "That's seems weird."

"Why?"

She didn't deny it.

"Cats and dogs don't get along. Everyone knows that," Sasuke explained. She only continued to stare, expression unreadable. "I would think you wouldn't like him all that much to the point where it's okay that he… can touch you." Nana actually stopped walking and craned her neck towards the Uchiha. Sasuke stopped walking as well. Something like a cough and a chuckle came from the large feline's mouth. Her eyes had gleamed with incredulity. Mayu promptly hushed her before returning her full attention on him. The shinobi honestly felt smaller under her gaze. "What?" he asked. Sliding his tongue across his front teeth, he glanced away for a moment.

"Are we seriously having this conversation?" Mayu questioned with a frown. That didn't make him feel particularly better, no. She sighed heavily. It was a precarious sign. She lightly kicked at Nana's front leg, silently telling the black leopard to continue moving. "I think we need to talk…" Furrowing his brow, Sasuke caught up to his teammate before settling into her cat's pace. "About what happened before in the Land of Waves." He did not like where this was going. Mayu sounded too awkward. It was actually sounded like she didn't want to say what needed to be said. It wasn't like her. His insides froze as his eyes left her body. "You're probably confused about how I acted towards you and it's messing with how you're feeling. But… you're not obligated to feel jealous because of what happened between us. I mean, Haku-san told me what he did. I don't blame you for giving in. After all, I did come on to you strong. You're not normal, but when it comes down to it, you're still a teenage boy."

"Are you _apologizing_?"

"I just want to clear things between us."

No.

"I care about you a lot…"

She was not doing this.

"You're my teammate and friend…"

She was so doing this.

"But you don't have to act like my jealous boyfriend when I'm around other guys… because even though that happened, we're not like that… right?"

_Fuuuuucccckkkk_!

Uchiha Sasuke had been friend-zoned. It took quite a bit of his willpower not to start hyperventilating. "Yeah." Fortunately, he could control his tone of voice. Mayu sharply turned her head towards him. Crap. Maybe it had come out like a choked sob instead? Because that's what he felt like. She bit her lower lip and raised a brow. Sasuke cleared his throat, shifting his gaze to the road in front of him. "Like you said, you were forceful. I didn't have a choice." That tone had been much more neutral, he was sure of it.

"_Mm_… Right… Had no choice…" Slowly her eyes turned back to the path. Sasuke cautiously glanced at his teammate again. Had he heard a bit of bitterness in her voice? It was slight, but her lower lip poked out. Her eyes' focus went from the sky to the row of trees at her left. That cute pouty look vanished as quick as it came, though, making the Uchiha wonder if he had imagined the whole thing. "Anyway, me and Kiba aren't like that, so there. He's just someone I've become comfortable around since he and his team are the only ones I had contact with for about six months. It's not a big deal."

"Alright then." His response was detached on purpose with the intent of making her think he didn't care. On the inside, though, he almost felt victorious. That mutt didn't have what it took to grasp Mayu's attention. Still, being in the friend zone was no laughing matter. If he only had that trigger word, then he wouldn't have this problem.

Suddenly, he felt an internal chill. Without moving his head, Sasuke glanced around him. It had been nearly undetectable, but in the end he could sense a strange presence. "Mayu." The kunoichi's shoulders were tense. She already knew, and so did Nana. They were being watched. It wasn't Itachi. Surely Mayu would have announced it. No, this was someone else. Another member of Akatsuki…? "Get out of here. Warn the others." She actually chuckled.

"It's cute that you think I'm going to leave you. So cute," she murmured. Sasuke would have scowled, but he ended up returning the chuckle instead. Nana stopped moving forward. He did as well. "_Haah_…! It's frustrating, so stop hiding and show yourself already!" Mayu continued loudly. Mild laughter entered his ears. He almost rolled his eyes. The laugh sounded distinctively creepy. Judging from the way his teammate had fixed a glare on her face, she had deducted who it was as well. She had always taken on that expression whenever the subject turned to _him_.

"_Ah_, so I've been spotted…" His voice came from behind them. Sasuke immediately drew his sword. At the same time, Mayu had prepared to fire off an arrow. Nana and he sharply turned around. Both weapons were aimed at a ninja given the title of Sanin—Orochimaru. "So I was right after all," he said. "Tracking Itachi would eventually allow me to cross paths with you again, Sasuke-kun."

"Still dreaming, Orochimaru?" Sasuke retorted. Though he sounded confident, he was worried. Of all people, why did it have to be this person? Despite being distracted by his own dreams, the Uchiha had thought a lot about Mayu's abilities. He wasn't positive, but he had begun to wonder if she had used that ability on Kabuto to make him flee. It was plausible. He did not want Orochimaru getting any ideas when it came to his teammate. "Mayu…" For a split second, his eyes shifted her way. "Go. Find the others." He knew she was about to protest. Though she didn't look away from the enemy, she opened her mouth, expression quite annoyed. "Don't argue with me this time! _Just go_!" She made a face indicating that she was far from pleased with the order. However, she wasn't beyond reason. Her eyes flickered from the Sanin to Sasuke.

"Fine…" she finally agreed after some thought. "But this will be the last time I leave you by yourself. Nana." The black leopard began to slowly walk backwards, growling at the apparent enemy. "Orochimaru," Mayu addressed the Sanin. "Take one step towards Sasuke while you're in my line of sight, and I will blow you to hell." Despite the serious threat, the older ninja merely smirked.

"Because you did such a good job doing that the last time?" he retorted. The kunoichi gave a smirk of her own.

"You misunderstand me, Oro-teme… My arrow is aiming for that thing that makes you a man," she stated. The smirk on the Sanin's face had dropped quickly. "Having _that_ explode sounds quite hellish, don't you think?" The string of her bow was pulled back further. "I have no problem blowing that shit up." Orochimaru glared, yet he didn't make a move. The corners of Sasuke's lips tugged upwards. Was it wrong to believe his teammate's violent mentality was one of her appealing qualities? The Uchiha shook the thought from his mind. This wasn't the time.

"Go," he repeated. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that she nodded. After another five steps back from her feline partner, the two leapt away in search of anyone else on the team. Good. Now he could focus solely on the Sanin. "You must be pretty desperate to try and seek me out, Orochimaru. Is it time to switch bodies already?"

"So you're not happy to see me, Sasuke-kun? It feels like forever since you had betrayed me," Orochimaru chuckled. "What happened to that ambition of yours, _hm_? That wonderful need for revenge that caused the fire in your eyes—it's gone. Is that little girl responsible?"

"Maybe… Or maybe that fire has transformed into lightning," Sasuke replied. "Fire is uncontrolled. It spreads, harming and destroying anything in its path. Lightning, on the other hand, is quick, precise, and stronger. My ambition is still there, but it has become better. Tell me, Orochimaru, Legendary Sanin, can you see the lightning in my eyes?" The older ninja frowned. That action only caused the younger of the two give an insolent smile. "Don't worry," he told him. His eyes slid from onyx to blood red. "You will."

0-0

I'm wondering about the pacing of this arc. Hopefully, I won't make a mistake this time around. Comment and/or review, lovely readers!


	29. Pull The Trigger II

"_Shit, shit, shit…!"_

Ishikari Mayu was not in the best of moods. From the very beginning, she knew that this particular mission would be more of a pain than any other she had had so far. Why? It was because Uchiha Itachi wasn't just _involved_ this time around. No, that man was the focal point of the mission. Because of that, she had to worry not only about the actions of his little brother, but the actions of herself as well. Now, she had to worry about Orochimaru as a factor. The blue-eyed kunoichi grimaced as her grip on her feline partner increased. Nana didn't mind. Nana _knew_ about the storm brewing. As if those things weren't bad enough, the kunoichi had someone on her trail. She didn't recognize whoever was following her. The scent had been masked. The only reason she had realized someone had been following her had been because of the inconsistent pattern in the wild life's actions. Without warning, the animals would suddenly stop making noise or dramatically change directions.

Because of this, she couldn't seek anyone else on her team out. She didn't want to lead a potential enemy towards their target, and so leading whoever this was down the wrong path was her option. Still, she was pressed for time. This pursuit couldn't go on for much longer. She had left her teammate in the presence of Orochimaru. The thought, itself, caused a frown to form on Mayu's face. Not that her faith in her teammate was so little, but the thought of the Sanin successfully finding _his_ target was enough to make her stomach churn. The kunoichi didn't like this situation at all—the not knowing part. Well, Mayu decided the time of not knowing was over.

With a simple touch to Nana's left ear, the large feline knew what to do. Once there was a break in the forest, Nana came sliding to a stop, turning sideways as she did. Mayu, still having her weapon ready to fire, took this chance to slightly turn her upper body and release her grip on her arrow. The projectile didn't get very far, but it did impact with something—probably a tree trunk judging from the sound it made. Nana snorted, and then bounded off to where the arrow ended up. As she thought, the arrow had been imbedded into a tree. "I missed…" Mayu murmured as she slid off her feline partner's back. Though she did miss, the kunoichi managed to pin a bit of dark cloth to the tree. She reached up, yanking on the cloth and ripping it. Upon taking a deep whiff of the scent, she grimaced, realizing who had been tailing her. It had been awhile since the last time she had gotten a smell of him, but it was definitely him. "Snake bitch," she announced, dropping the ripped cloth from her hand.

"So you have realized then?" His familiar voice came from behind. Nana immediately moved in front of Mayu and snarled at the offender. The kunoichi slowly turned, eyes settling on a hooded figure. Even with the hood, she knew who it was. "How amusing."

"It's _more_ amusing that you appeared right after I said snake bitch," Mayu retorted. The smirk instantly fell into a frown. "Though, you did do a fair job at masking your scent, Kabuto." The glasses-wearing ninja pulled his hood back.

"Still, if I hadn't reacted so quickly, your arrow would have reached me, Ishikari-_sama_."

Mayu immediately felt panicked—for what, she had no idea. The rising dread only skyrocketed once the smirk returned to the enemy's face. That knowing look and that condescending voice had always pissed her off when it came to Kabuto. Even now, she couldn't help the glare that had surfaced on her face. Perhaps it was the feelings she had for him as a child, or perhaps it was the way he had addressed her. Ishikari-sama—he had said it with such false respect. "What exactly do you want, Kabuto? Shouldn't be helping Orochimaru?" the kunoichi questioned.

"To be honest, I'd rather not get involved with those two at the moment," he answered with a shrug of his shoulders and a shake of his head. "Who knows how scary they will get?" Kabuto focused his gaze on her again. "Actually, I sought you out on purpose. I'm curious about you, heir of Ishikari."

"Getting curious can get you killed," Mayu said. For the moment, she forced herself to ignore what he had called her. "You must realize you're a wanted criminal. Being without your master protect you is a stupid idea, isn't it?" Kabuto frowned, most likely feeling insulted. Still, he didn't lash out in anger. He calmly moved his arm, tossing a book to the ground in front of Nana. The kunoichi didn't even glance at it.

"I didn't follow you with the intention of fighting. Rather, I came with a different reason," he stated. "That is all the information Orochimaru's organization has on Akatsuki." Immediately, Mayu's expression turned suspicious. "Don't look at me that way. It's not a bargain. We don't have nearly enough information for that. But I'm hoping… this is a start."

"Start of _what_?"

"I want to know you. No, I want to know your family. It's very curious you being the last, wouldn't you agree?" Mayu bit the inside of her mouth. Something told her that Kabuto already knew things about the Ishikari clan. He just wanted to know _more_. Shit. How the hell did he find out? For now, she would keep silent. "Once I found out your last name, I had remembered where I heard the surname before. Ishikari Morino." Her uncle. She should have known. They were definitely going to have to have another talk when she got back to the village. "Personally, I didn't meet him myself. A group of my underlings had a run in with him almost a year ago. Only one of them managed to survive. He told me that this guy had been relentless, only showing mercy when my underling ran in fear. This man, this Ishikari Morino, had the ability to inhabit another's body and literally kill them from the inside in the form of suicide. Mind techniques… You are related to him, aren't you?" Kabuto questioned. Mayu remained quiet. "Don't bother hiding it. Your skin, your eyes—the combination isn't exactly common."

"Yeah, what of it?" Finally, she spoke up. "My relation has you curious? You really are going to get killed that way."

"Not your relation, per se, but your mind techniques," Kabuto supplied. "The last time we encountered… you used mind control, didn't you?" The kunoichi was getting nervous, but she tried hard not to show it. She smiled falsely.

"Sounds to me like you already know," Mayu mused. "That leads me to wonder why you've appeared in front of me. If you know, then you know that... your actions won't be your own." Kabuto shut his eyes for a moment and chuckled.

"I only wanted a confirmation, Ishikari-sama," he said. "You and that man are the only two left, after all."

"You want to expand your knowledge then? What makes you think I'll talk?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow. "You're gravely mistaken if you think a little information on Akatsuki is going to make me tell you _anything_ pertaining to my clan."

"That-" Kabuto's gaze briefly looked down at the discarded book. "-Is merely a gift."

"A gift for what?"

"For what? For heightening my curiosity, of course. For leading me to gain knowledge without Orochimaru-sama's influence. It has been quite some time since I've been able to do that," Kabuto explained. Mayu forced herself not to sigh in relief. So the snake bastard didn't know of her clan still? That was good. "To answer your question, no, I don't think I need to expand my knowledge anymore than necessary." His unnerving smirk came back. "But perhaps you should look to expand your own knowledge, _hm_?"

"What the hell does that mean?" Mayu asked.

"Because if you knew what I know," he continued as though the kunoichi hadn't asked a question. "Perhaps you wouldn't be on the side of angels." He chuckled, pushing glasses closer to his face with his middle finger. "Your reaction would be most amusing to see." Inside her chest, Mayu's heart rate increased. She swallowed hard, wondering why his words had had such an effect on her. Then it hit her. She had heard this words before from a different source—the Kyuubi. _It will be interesting to see your reaction_, he had told her. Why? What did _they_ know that _she_ didn't about her _own_ clan? The kunoichi could feel herself becoming angry. However, before she could make a move, Kabuto brought his hands together, forming a seal. "Until next time, Ishikari-sama…" His body began to fade, turning into mist. "Perhaps when we next meet, you won't be so ignorant." With those words, he completely disappeared.

Mayu waited a few moments before attempting to move. His scent had disappeared as well. Slowly, she reached out for the 'gift' that had been left behind. Devious source or not, information on Akatsuki would be silly to pass up. Still, it wouldn't hurt to be careful. The kunoichi flipped through the pages, looking for any sort of inscription that might be dangerous at a later time. Wouldn't want this thing to explode at an inopportune time, now would she? Finding none, she slipped the object in the pocket of her cloak. She then jumped on her feline partner. "Whoever's the closest, we're going to them! We've wasted enough time already! Let's go, Nana!" The black leopard nodded, and then took off again.

As they moved, Mayu couldn't help but to think about Kabuto's words. The cryptic asshole—she wanted to hate people like him. However, there were a lot of them… Anyway, how in the world did Kabuto get his hands on that type—whatever type—of information? With only two members of the clan still left alive, it should have been _impossible_ for him, an outsider, to know something she didn't. The kunoichi shook her head a bit, almost feeling an oncoming headache. She shouldn't be dwelling on Kabuto at the moment. What she needed to focus on was Itachi. He was a man that warranted such a thing. She didn't have time to worry about other things at the moment. Well, actually, she should probably be focusing on her teammate and Orochimaru…

It was less than five minutes later that the two partners finally came across their comrades. The group consisted of Naruto, Hinata, Yamato, and the big dog. Predictably, Naruto was the only one who '_eeped_' at her sudden appearance. Sure, she had landed right in front of him, but seriously, he should be used to it by now. Suppressing her grin, Mayu hopped off Nana's back. "Hey, why are you by yourself? Where's Sasuke?" the blond shinobi questioned. The mirth instantly disappeared. The blue-eyed kunoichi frowned.

"We ran into Orochimaru," she stated. Her three comrades showed their surprise by raising their eyebrows or gasping. "He was tracking Itachi as well, knowing that his path would cross with Sasuke. His target has always been Sasuke, so he told me to leave and come find anyone for backup."

"Where are they? Which way?!" Naruto demanded to know.

Mayu pointed as she answered that they were in the north. The blond rushed off before she even finished. Yamato sighed heavily. "This may pose as a problem, but… I want you two to stay focused on the mission at hand. I will follow Naruto to Sasuke's location," he announced. Mayu began to protest but was immediately shot down. "Right now, Orochimaru is just a complication. Uchiha Itachi is our primary objective. There is no need for everyone to become distracted by a mere obstacle. Continue with the mission as planned, Mayu, Hinata." Frowning, the two kunoichi nodded their heads. For a moment, Yamato closed his eyes. "Don't worry. I'll bring them both back." With those parting words, the older ninja leapt away, along with the big dog, Bull.

For just a moment, the two kunoichi remained rooted to the spot. It wasn't until Nana snorted lightly that the two moved. "_Ah_, we should continue then," Hinata stated. Mayu agreed with a nod. So the two friends and comrades walked on, thoughts shifting to their target. However, it was proving to be hard to maintain focus, knowing… just knowing. The Hyuga glanced at Mayu, noting the way her friend anxiously chewed her lower lip. "You are worried, aren't you?" The darker kunoichi chuckled lightly, without mirth, and then sighed.

"Am I so obvious?" she murmured. "Well, they are my teammates. With as reckless as Naruto is and Sasuke being…" Mayu trailed off as an image of her stoic teammate appeared in her mind. She pressed her lips into a thin line. Thinking of him ultimately made her think of _that_. She tried to remain professional, really she did, but _that_ always seemed to creep up on her inopportune time or not. "Uh… Hinata… we're best friends, right?" Without hesitation, the Hyuga gave an affirmative answer. "And we tell each other stuff, right? And give advice?"

Again, Hinata replied with a nod. She raised a brow as she turned her head to stare at her best friend. Mayu wasn't the type of person to beat around the bush. Even without her memories, she was still the same girl that had aggressively become her friend. "Is there something bothering you, Mayu?" Hinata questioned. She smiled lightly. "You can tell me anything… like I have done in the past with you." Though she didn't remember, the darker kunoichi smiled as well. "So then what is bothering you?"

"_Hm_… Recently, I've found myself liking someone," Mayu admitted. Surprised to hear it, Hinata's eyes expanded. She cared for her best friend and all her faults, but honestly the girl was so thickheaded when it came to the opposite gender when it concerned herself at any rate. When it came to other's romantic issues, she had tended to tease. Suppressing the blush, the Hyuga female prodded Mayu to continue. "The thing is… I have _no_ idea who it is." Hinata almost stopped in her tracks. Her expression shifted into a perplexed one. "He appears in my dreams, demanding that I hurry up and remember him, so he's definitely someone from my past. He says he likes me, and I… think I've started to like him, too. I mean, he appears so damn much! It's half annoying, especially with his attitude."

"I don't follow…" Hinata confessed. "This person appears in your dreams, and yet you do not know who it is?"

"Either his face is covered or it's my eyes. Either way, I can't see him in my dreams," Mayu explained.

"What about his voice?"

"I can never remember it when I wake up."

"This is very strange."

"Yeah, but that's not what's bothering me. Because hopefully, I'll remember, and eventually, we'll cross paths again." She shook her head a bit. "Actually, I can't help feeling like… I'm starting to like someone else in the same way." This time, Hinata did stop. Mayu halted as well. Nana continued on, ignoring the two humans. "What? Don't look at me like that, Hinata. Just because you're true and blue for Naruto doesn't mean-"

"Don't ch-change the sub-subject!" Hinata blurted. "You really like two people at the _same time_?"

"It's complicated," Mayu mumbled. "Ever since we kissed-"

"You _kissed_?!"

"Calm down, Hinata. The situation called for it." Before the situation could be questioned, Mayu went on and resumed walking, forcing the Hyuga to keep up. "It happened like this…" The darker kunoichi began filling Hinata in on what had happened, suspiciously leaving out names. "And in the end, I decided that I liked kissing him. I wouldn't mind if _that_ happened again… and again. But when I later asked the guy about it, he _scoffed_ and said he had _no choice _since I was so _aggressive_ about it!" Mayu crossed her arms. Her bottom lip poked out. Clearly, she was pouting. Hinata had to stifle the giggle that threatened to erupt. Mayu could be so cute. "He still thinks of me as a friend while I'm stuck thinking about the way his lips feel on mine. What should I do? Before, I didn't think about things like romance and kissing. I was content with waiting for my dream guy to appear, but since I kissed this other guy in real life, I… I've become confused. Should I choose the safer route and wait for my dream to become reality or should I grab reality by the balls and go for the person who's already in front of me?"

"I… I couldn't say," Hinata uneasily replied. "I do not know enough about these two people. Could it be that you like the one that kissed you, in reality, simply because of the kiss?"

"If only…" Mayu murmured, shaking her head. "It was like the kiss made me see him in a whole new light. Not only did I realize that I like kissing him, but I also realized I like being around him." Hinata gently asked to know more about him. "Well, he's crazy shy. He's almost unapproachable, but… I like seeing him smile, no matter how small it might be. It's the best when he laughs, though. I find myself wanting to be the one who changes his usually stony expression even if it's annoyance. And I like talking to him. We tease each other, but all in all, it's always a good time. He understands me. He _knows_ me. Oh, he smells really good, too." Hinata blinked. It sounded as though Mayu didn't _just_ like this person.

"And the other one?"

"Well, there's not much to say since I don't know myself, but I feel a familiarity with him," Mayu answered. "Around him, it's comfortable—normal. I don't have to worry about uncertainties because he makes it perfectly clear that he likes me and is just waiting for my eyes to open, but who knows how long that's going to take? Who knows exactly when I'll get my memories back? I've come to a crossroad."

"It sounds as though there are both cons and pros with each guy," Hinata remarked. Mayu nodded in agreement.

"There are two big cons with the both of them," she stated. "With my reality guy, he thinks of me as a friend… and I don't want to ruin our friendship if things don't turn out in a good way. With my dream guy, there's the possibility that I won't be okay with who he is and I'll regret choosing to focus completely on him. Not to mention, I'm not into the whole matching couple thing."

"_Huh_…?" Mayu always had a habit of making Hinata loose her composure. Her comments were often outlandish, confusing, or embarrassing. That comment had been all three. "C-Couple matching…? What?" The darker kunoichi shrugged, waving her hand about. The Hyuga shook her head. "I have never seen you matching with _anyone_. Even if you weren't around me all the time, I still saw you every day. You wore the same thing I wore."

"I don't know—one time I dreamt about him and we were matching. It was very off-putting," Mayu said. "Dressed in all black with white masks that had long hair attached—you know he had the _gull_ to say it was _my_ idea? I mean, _honestly_…! You should have seen these outfits! There's no way I'd walk around in something like that for no reason!"

At that point, Hinata stopped listening. She could seriously tell when Mayu was about to go on a tangent now and knew how to act accordingly. However, this time was different. The description she gave on the outfits, although vague, seemed strangely familiar to her. White masks with long hair attached…? Then it came to her. She remembered it so clearly now. More than likely, it was because of what had happened at that time. It had been the moment Naruto had officially claimed her as a friend. Just thinking of the blond shinobi caused the kunoichi's cheeks to redden. Still, she had to push those thoughts aside for now. Hinata closed her eyes for a moment. She remembered… that they had been attacked by two people who had fitted Mayu's description. "Purple and blue?" she said out loud. This effectively halted her friend's rant. Her focus turned to Hinata, clearly puzzled by her seemingly random choice of words. As though she had room to speak… "The long hair attached to the masks—they were purple and blue?"

"How'd you know?" Mayu asked, eyes going wide. "Are you psychic now?!"

Had the situation been different, Hinata would have chuckled lightly and shook her head at her friend's silly question. However, given the situation at hand, her sneaking suspicions were quickly becoming just plain incredulity. They Hyuga stopped walking. Mayu, of course, did the same, wearing such a look of confusion. Hinata completely turned her body to face her darker companion. The awkward smile on her face told the paler female that Mayu realized, to some extent, that she was in trouble. "Mayu." The way her entire body tensed was only further indication that she realized she had unwontedly stepped on a mine. She may have forgotten, but that did not excuse her actions. "I seem to remember being attacked by a duo fitting that description. Not just myself… _but Naruto-kun as well_." Mayu flinched violently, so much that it appeared she had wanted to jump away.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about. Amnesia, remember?"

"Yes," Hinata agreed. "It is quite an unfortunate… convenience." The awkward smile was gone now, and in its place appeared a grimace. "I recall one of them being female and now that I think about it, she had the same mannerisms as _you_."

"She must have been pretty darn badass then, right?"

"A bit of a fool, actually." Though she couldn't remember, it was clear that Mayu had become offended. Still, she only frowned and poked her lips out in a pout. The corners of Hinata's lips tugged upward just a bit. Usually, this light way of teasing would be the other way around. How refreshing it was to be the sender instead of the receiver. "Her companion seemed to think so as well," the pale kunoichi continued. "Though they were opposite genders, she referred to them both as _The Shisaki Brothers_."

"Shisaki Brothers…?" Mayu repeated. She scoffed. "I would never come up with a name so stu-"

She suddenly stopped as though her very thought process came to a screeching halt. Hinata furrowed her brow as she continued to gaze at her friend. Mayu's hands lifted to her head, fingers gripping the metal plate of her forehead protector. Her eyes were squeezed shut as well. Being so close to her, the Hyuga could her trembling and the chill bumps forming on her raised arm. "Mayu…?" She took a step closer. Her friend was currently clenching her teeth. "Are you-?" A sharp gaze escaped her mouth as her eyes snapped open. Hinata found herself stunned into silence. Mayu's pupils were expanding and contracting at an abnormally fast rate. Her irises were moving back and forth as well. Her stare was aimless. Including her shuddering breathing, her actions caused alarm to surface.

"**Her memories**…" The deep raspy, yet feminine voice of the black leopard made Hinata sharply turn to the right. Nana had doubled back and was now watching her human partner with calm disposition as though she expected to witness such a thing. "**You have returned them, Hyuga**." The time for questioning such a statement was interrupted before it began because at that moment, Mayu unleashed an almost deafening scream. It had only lasted for a few seconds, but Hinata _felt_ the anguish and despair. "**Do not fret. It will end soon**." Those words did not stop the way it felt. Doing nothing while Mayu was obviously hurting—she hadn't felt so _useless_ in a long time.

Minutes ticked by and finally Mayu's arms fell to her sides. She only stood there, shaking her head. Again, Hinata stepped towards her, hesitantly calling her name. The kunoichi looked up. It took a beat, but her expression of pain shifted into a smile. "Hinata…" She moved forward, grabbing both of Hinata's hands with her own. "Hinata-chan~!" Mayu actually looked teary-eyed. "I missed you _so much_, girl!" Moving their hands from side to side, her smile turned into grin.

"Wh-What?"

Instead of answering her, Mayu released her hands, pout on her face again. "Hey! Why did you follow me that night, anyway? You were _supposed_ to be sleeping! My goodness, Sasuke was right, I turned you into a little mini me! I have corrupted you." She feigned a shameful face, and then grinned again. Honestly, Hinata didn't know what to say. She was confused and just a bit sad. Because she realized that Mayu's memories had returned and she knew that her best friend intended to continue hiding things from her. "Well, surely we'll have time to catch up and be all nostalgic later, but now let's focus on the mission, ne?" She turned and walked forward.

"Mayu," Hinata began, halting her comrade's footsteps. "Whatever is it that you are holding within, I can tell that is it hurts." She clenched her left fist over her chest and squeezed her eyes shut. "We are best friends; you should realize that your false cheer won't convince me anymore. Seeing you like this makes me feel conflicted." Mayu softly uttered her name, sounding guilty. "But I won't pry this time," the Hyuga continued. "I only wish that you won't shelter me by distancing yourself again or putting on a façade. I can take it. Really, I can." Suddenly, Hinata felt arms around her, causing her to open her eyes. Mayu had encased her in her embrace.

"Really, Hinata, you are my best friend," she murmured. "And I'm truly sorry that I can't tell you." Pulling back a bit, the darker kunoichi looked her in the eyes. "It's just… I don't know what to do about this information I've suddenly gained, along with my memories. But still I am glad to have them back, realizing how close we truly were." Hinata returned the smile and hug, cheeks taking on a pink hue. Mayu sighed softly. "Just between us girls, though, could we keep my memories a secret for now? The information I have concerns Sasuke and telling him about it now would be a mistake."

"Yes, I won't say anything to Sasuke-san," Hinata promised.

"You can't say anything to your Naruto-kun either! That loudmouth would surely spill the beans."

Pink rapidly shifted to red as Hinata hurriedly protested such a thing. Mayu giggled before releasing her. She turned around and began walking again, urging Hinata to do the same. About to follow suite, however, she was interrupted. "**Hyuga**…" She had forgotten about Nana again. Truly, the stealth of this animal was superb. "**You must never betray her**." Hinata turned to the large black leopard, knitting her eyebrows together. "**I fear she won't be able to take it if another best friend**-"

"I would never!" she objected, almost raising her voice. "Mayu… I would _never_ hurt her!"

"**I'm just saying**," Nana replied. "**You are not the first best friend she has had, but I do hope you are the last**." The large feline moved ahead to walk beside her human partner.

"_Why would anyone feel the need to betray her…?"_ Hinata pondered in thought.

"Hinata-chan! Hurry up!" Mayu called.

"Y-Yes…!"

0-0

Yes. Yes, readers, it is as I've written. Mayu's memories have finally returned. I'm _almost_ surprised no one figured out the trigger word. I would explain why that was the trigger word, but... I don't wanna. HA! Okay, maybe I will next chapter. But anyway, she has her memories, but she is still unwilling to share that information she had acquired. She is at a standstill until she can figure out what to do and who to talk to.

Anyway! Did you read the latest chapter of _Naruto_? I did and I was in awe. I mean, I have been writing Sasuke as an undercover dramaqueen for _years _and now Kishimoto has blatantly stated that it's _true_. I couldn't believe it! All this time, I have had Sasuke's personality down, I'm pretty sure almost _effin_' completely. Yeah...! Thank you, Kishimoto! By the way, hands down, the First Hokage is my favorite Hokage now.

Please review!


	30. Distraction, Bitch

A dream.

This had to be a dream. Her comrades did not wake from their slumber. She, herself, didn't move as the person moved towards her. Almost silently, he moved beside her and sat with his back against the base of the tree. It was a large tree trunk, big enough to have two people sitting comfortably side by side. Mayu frowned as she opened her eyes. Feigning sleep wouldn't get her anywhere since this was a dream anyway. Strange… Generally, she wouldn't realize it so soon. After all, this dream felt like reality. All around, her comrades still slept around the small fire, waiting to be awoken for their turn to be on watch. _Hm_… Actually, her recent dreams, no matter how vivid, she could just sense that they were merely dreams. Perhaps her mind had gotten sharper. "And why exactly," she began, looking to the left out of the corner of her eye. "Are you hiding from me?" He was currently wearing that getup she had coerced him into wearing when they were children—the mask with long blue hair. "I _know_ who you are now."

"Good girl," he responded. Raising a brow, Mayu poked out her lower lip. She could feel him smirking. "You've finally opened your eyes." She would have rolled her eyes, but to do that she would have to tear her gaze from the fire. Through the fire, she could only stare at her sleeping comrade as her dream guy smugly told her what a slow one she was. In fact, staring is what she had been doing prior to the shift of reality to dream. Oh gosh, she really hoped Kakashi didn't see her doing _that_. Finally, she sharply turned her head, taking in his appearance. He had yet to remove his mask. "What?" he questioned.

"Why didn't he just tell me, Sasuke?" Mayu asked. "It would have made things a lot easier."

"For himself… but not for you," he stated. The kunoichi furrowed her brow. "If you had been told, he would have been merely frustrated, but you would have struggled with the knowledge. Pushing and pulling at the same time, which would gradually lead to-"

"What? Lead to what?" His hand reached up, fingers gripping his mask and pushing it up. Mayu couldn't turn away. Now, the mask was gone. She could see him now—the man of her dreams. Finally, she could see his face. And so clearly, too. The kunoichi breathed in deeply, inhaling his scent. Shuddering, she touched her nose as she exhaled. Everything had been masked when it came to him, not just his face. Now, she could sense him—_feel_ all of him. Not just her dream, but her reality as well. Uchiha Sasuke. She swallowed hard as his face eased closer to hers. "Wa-Wait," she found herself stammering. Mayu sighed and looked away for a moment. Her eyes settled on the sleeping Uchiha. "You two are the same, and you definitely like me, so… why did he scoff?"

"That wasn't a scoff, Mayu," he stated. "You made him want to _cry_. He was choking back a sob." Blue eyes stared at him in disbelief. "Come on now. You are one of the few who realize how emotional he gets. Could you imagine loving someone so much, only to be put in the friend zone?" Before she could repeat, he interrupted, frown forming. "Yes, the friend zone. You put us in _the friend zone_. It was not good hearing from you, and so he denied any feelings of that nature, saying that you were too aggressive." A thoughtful look appeared on his face, followed by a smirk. "Actually, I'm pretty sure he likes that side of you."

He stood, pulling Mayu up as well. "What happens now," she asked after a moment of silence between them. "You said before that you are my subconscious, trying to make me remember. Now that I have remembered, what happens now? It's not just you that I've remembered. It's…" Her gaze fell to the ground, and then returned to him. "It's knowledge that I shouldn't have learned, not this soon. Telling Sasuke would—would it be a mistake?" He stared at her for a long time. For awhile, they only stared at one another. Mayu hoped that her subconscious would give her an answer, but… it would be impossible.

"That is for you to decide," he murmured. Huffing and crossing her arms, Mayu visibly pouted. She _effin_' knew it. He stepped closer, bringing his hands up to caress both her cheeks. "But I can tell you that this is the last time I will appear in your dreams in this form. Ishikari Mayu, you are quite the special person, but even you can't have your subconscious speaking with you like this for long. The subconscious is meant to whisper and be vague not be engaged in conversation, so this is it."

"So," Mayu began, letting her arms fall to her sides. "You. Me. Kissing?"

"Yes, you started thinking of him in that way earlier than you realize… It's called projecting… you _naughty_ girl."

"It's not _my_ fault I f_ound_ Kakashi-sensei's orange book! Besides, it never got further than that!" she protested. Using her teammate's face, her subconscious smiled. "Look at me, trying to cover up in my own head. Is my mind getting sharper or blunter?"

"Probably both," he returned. His hands dropped from her cheeks to her shoulders. "You have to make your own decisions. Do not summon me to your dreams anymore." Mayu swallowed hard and closed her eyes. He was right, of course. "You have all your memories laid out in front of you. Now you have come to a crossroad—a _real_ one. In the end, it is your decision. Alone." The kunoichi nodded her head, pressing her lips into a thin line. "Make it a good one."

"Yeah. I'd better," Mayu mumbled.

0-0

Sasuke was exhausted. He tried not to show it, though, even when his comrades were sleeping. Naruto was the deepest sleeper of the lot, but even he would spring awake at the slightest abnormal noise. Himself panting would cause the others to stir, so he suppressed his fatigue. In about an hour, Yamato would take over, and then he could resume recuperating from his battle with the snake Sanin, Orochimaru. For a moment, the young Uchiha closed his eyes. He had won, but there were aftereffects of his victory. Even now he could sense the Sanin within him, trying to spread like a poison through his veins. Fortunately, he was strong enough to keep that… thing at bay. The truth was that he had _absorbed_ Orochimaru. This truth—he couldn't reveal it at the moment, though.

He suspected that Kakashi already knew something was amiss, perhaps even Yamato, but for now, it would be better to keep Orochimaru's failed ritual to himself. No doubt Yamanaka Ino would trust him less if she knew that such a high-ranking enemy of the Leaf had been fused with someone she clearly felt hostility for. For the most part, he knew that the others would be wary of him but they would deal. However, honestly, Naruto, Sai, and Mayu—he didn't want them, of all people, knowing. Their reactions to the news—he wouldn't be able to handle _their_ wary stares. Sasuke shook his head a few times, driving away those thoughts. He knew better. Those three wouldn't do that, but… There was always a 'but,' wasn't there?

A slight groan successfully pulled Sasuke out of his thoughts. The groan belonged to his female teammate. She had sat across from him, practically cuddling with Hyuga Hinata. She… hadn't spoken much since the group reunited. Mayu hadn't even added her own questions about what happened between himself and Orochimaru. It was strange. At times, he had thought he could feel her eyes on him, but when he had looked to confirm, her gaze had been elsewhere. Maybe he had only been imagining it, though. The selfish part him wanted her to only look at him. But with guys like Kiba around, that seemed impossible. Sasuke ground his teeth, trying hard to stifle his jealousy. He just couldn't throw away the image of them together despite the fact that Mayu had reassured him the relationship was purely platonic.

Another groan escape from her lips and she shifted away from Hinata. Suddenly, Mayu's presence disappeared altogether. Of course, he could still see her, but he couldn't _sense_ her. If his eyes had been shut, he would have questioned if she had been there all along. The Hyuga tensed, and then relaxed again, as the darker kunoichi pulled away. Once she was out of the embrace, Sasuke decided to speak. "That's a good trick," he told her. Admittedly, he had always been curious about how she could accomplish such a feat. "Teach me how to do that." Mayu didn't flinch at his voice. She merely turned her focus on him, smirk on her face.

"Sorry," she replied with a shrug. "You're much too old now. Besides, people with Ishikari blood should be the only ones who know. But…" Her smirk widen as her eyes narrowed. "If you're good, I'll be happy to show you a few _special _tricks."

"_Only_ if I'm good?"

"Well, maybe if you're just a bit bad, too." Her playful tone was enough get his heart racing. Sasuke didn't quite understand why, though. Should he feel _this_ excited? Mayu shifted forward, crawling around the fire pit. He had put the fire out once it had become his turn to keep watch. His dark eyes watched her as she moved closer. Gradually, he was able to sense her presence again. The dark kunoichi sat beside him, her shoulder pressed against his. "How much time have you got left?" Mayu questioned. Clearly his throat, Sasuke told her roughly twenty minutes. "_Ah_, well, don't get distracted by me despite how hard it is."

"You have no idea," he returned. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed her left eyebrow rise. "If you're a good girl, I might just enlighten you."

"Looking forward to it."

Was it just him or did her voice have a certain purr to it? Sasuke turned his head away. Despite the night being cool, his body had suddenly felt hot. Wave after wave of heat flowed through his body. Surely his normally neutral face had shifted to pinkish hues. Mayu had a habit of changing his face, knowingly or not. Most likely, she got a kick out of it. He wouldn't put it past her. After all, that familiar twinkle was in her eyes again—that _I'm so enjoying making you squirm _twinkle hadn't been lost along with her memories. Her memories… _Their_ memories… Mentally sighing, Sasuke shut his eyes. He wished that they would just return already. It was maddening dealing with these feelings _by himself_. A sudden nudge from his teammate broke his train of thought before it could go any further. He opened his eyes and focused on her again. "What?"

"What's wrong?" Mayu asked. "You looked-"

"It's nothing," Sasuke interrupted. She frowned, obviously not buying it. Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, the kunoichi nudged him again, this time with more force than necessary. He almost fell over. Slightly embarrassed, the young Uchiha sent a glare her way. Mayu's mildly cross expression didn't waver. "What?" he hissed, keeping his voice as low as possible in an effort to not wake the others.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't believe we've met yet. My name is Ishikari Mayu and I don't put up with _your_ bullshit!" Sasuke guiltily looked away. He could tell that the kunoichi beside him was quickly becoming irate. "Tell me what you were just thinking about!" she demanded. Slowly, he returned his focus back to her, still frowning. How could he tell her he had been thinking of their past—a time where things had been simpler and he could just kiss whenever he wanted? Well, that last thought was a bit dodgy. Mayu's face softened a bit. "Were you thinking about Itachi?" He saw it as an exit and so he took it.

"Yes," he lied, only to distract her. "This mission could be the end of it all."

"Must you be so melodramatic?" Mayu replied softly. It was an attempt to lighten the mood. She did that a lot when the subject turned to Uchiha Itachi. "But yeah, I get it." She bit her lower lip and shifted her gaze to her outstretched legs. "Seeing him again could very well change everything."

"You still love him, don't you?" Sasuke asked. Though she didn't answer, he already knew the truth. "He was your first friend. You even considered him a brother. I know that already. What he did to you—what he did to _us_—can't be overlooked."

"So you will kill him then, no matter what?"

He knitted his eyebrows together. Why had she asked him something she already knew the answer to? Even without her memories, she knew that Uchiha Itachi had to pay. She knew that he was determined to deal the final blow. So then why had she felt to need to ask him such a thing? Sasuke watched her, but she didn't look his way again. She did still love that man. It must have hurt her to know that her teammate would be the one to kill her brother. "The mission comes first," he stated carefully. "I won't do anything that would impede the mission."

"I wasn't looking for where your loyalties laid, Sasuke," Mayu muttered flatly.

"But you found it, didn't you?"

"… I already trust you. I already know you." Finally, her eyes returned to him. She smiled then, causing the fluttering feeling in his gut that usually came along with thoughts of Mayu. "But you're sweet, thinking about my feelings in spite of your retribution." She moved, a bit hesitantly, but the end result was her lips on his cheek. "Thanks," she whispered, nose still pressing against his cheek. "You're amazing, you know." Pulling away, she gave him one final smile before crawling back over to Hinata. Sasuke could only stare, unmoving, until she fell into a light sleep.

It was a cough from Yamato that finally snapped him out of his daze. He sharply turned his head towards the older ninja. The man stared blankly back. Try as he might, the Uchiha couldn't wipe the flush away. It became all the more worse when Yamato suddenly broke his placid expression with a knowing smirk. Scowling, Sasuke turned away and crossed his arms. He shouldn't be bothered by that smirk. After all, he had gotten kissed. Small as it was, it was still a kiss. And not one of those '_muah_,' motherly, sisterly kisses she likes giving Sai and Naruto. It was a special kiss—he just knew it. With that thought in mind, the young shinobi shut his eyes, intending to sleep as well. He felt more exhausted than before, but…

At least he would have a good dream tonight.

0-0

Morning came with the chirping of birds and the yawning of Leaf ninja. However, that is not what woke him up. It was the sound of his teammate's familiar mischievous giggling. Naruto had a knack for doing that whenever he had been pulling some type of prank. The blond hadn't grown out of it. Anyway, Naruto's giggling should have bothered him enough to open his eyes and greet the new day, but it didn't. Honestly, Sasuke was too comfortable at the moment. The added weight to his chest was just enough to- His eyes immediately snapped open. There hadn't been extra weight when he had gone to sleep. Two sets of blue eyes stared back at him. Their grins mirrored. Naruto and Mayu both looked much too cheeky for his tastes. "What?" he asked. His questioned only triggered giggling from, not only Naruto and Mayu, but Kiba and Ino as well. "What?!" he asked again, moving to get up… only he couldn't. His gaze shifted down to see his pale teammate… _snuggling_ against him. With a less than gentle shove, Sai had been removed from his person. This generated more laughter from his obnoxious teammates. Sasuke pushed himself up into a standing position.

"Oh, don't give us that look," Mayu grinned as she crossed her arms. "There's nothing more attractive than a child sleeping on his _dad_." Sai stood up, lightly rubbing his shoulder. Sasuke turned his glare on him.

"What the hell were you doing?" he questioned.

"I woke up in the middle of the night," Sai answered. "You were shaking and groaning in your sleep. I thought you were having a nightmare. I read that if your friend is feeling scared, you should comfort them—show them some tenderness." Naruto and Mayu had hard time breathing on the account that they were laughing too hard. "I suppose I fell asleep as well. Was I wrong…?"

"_Don't_ do it again!" Sasuke ordered.

"Queen…" Sai's dark eyes shifted to Mayu. The dark kunoichi brought her arms up, gesturing for her teammate to come to her. The pale shinobi almost immediately came into her embrace. Mayu soothingly rubbed his back.

"Oh no, Sai-chan, you weren't wrong. Daddy's just being a big mean grumpy face this morning," she replied. "It's okay. Mummy will protect you."

"Mayu, don't encourage him!" Sasuke admonished.

"Right. Now that we'll all up and about," Kakashi clapped his hands once, drawing the attention of the younger ninja. "We have a mission to continue." They came to attention, awaiting further orders. "The formation will be the same as yesterday. Hopefully, we won't run into another problem." He eyed Sasuke as he spoke, which caused the young Uchiha to roll his eyes. Like it had been his fault Orochimaru came to visit his former pupil… and got more than he had bargained for. Sasuke had to repress his smirk as Kakashi continued speaking. "… and we'll meet-"

"Wait…!" Kiba was the one to interrupt. His nostrils flared several times. The young Inuzuka sharply turned his head towards the west. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, watching his comrade sniff at the air. He had seen Mayu do it a few times. Finally, he turned his attention back to the group. "We don't have to split up again after all. I found it. I found Uchiha Itachi's scent." His statement caused varying expressions of surprise. Mayu turned her head, sniffing, almost violently, at the air around her. "Don't bother. The scent's so far away you won't be able to get a lock on it," Kiba told her. "Nowadays, my nose is even stronger than a ninja hound's."

"Then lead the way, you sexy man-beast!" Unfortunately, Mayu had become much too excited to notice the glare being thrown in her direction. With her fists raised and clenched, that certain fire appeared in her eyes. Sasuke rather liked that certain flame. If only that flame didn't have anything to do with Itachi. Also, he could have gone forever without hearing her compliment Kiba in that manner.

"Right then! Let's go, Akamaru!" Kiba hopped on his canine partner's back. The mighty dog let out an equally mighty bark before leaping into a tree. The other ninja nodded, and then followed after the two.

This was it. This was a chance to see Itachi again. It had been so long. For a moment, Mayu's eyes squeezed shut. To think, the last time she had seen him, she had yelled at him in anger. She couldn't remember a time when she had yelled at him before—not in anger. She had said some pretty mean things to him. She had called him traitor, telling him to live long and cling to his hopeless life and remember. Itachi—her first friend, her best friend, her brother—he must have had been shocked by those callous words. And now she felt guilty. Really guilty. Facing him again after that stretched her nerves out of shape. But she would have to endure. More than likely, she wouldn't get another chance like this.

That is what scared her the most.

Still, what would she do? Mayu knew full well she couldn't just blurt out that she knew everything. Not in front of her comrades. That would bring about too many questions that she didn't want to answer. But she wanted to talk to him. _"I want to save you, Itachi."_ Now that she knew the truth, she wanted to end his suffering. Again, her eyes squeezed shut. Already, she could feel prickling sensation at the corners of her eyes. Any further and the tears would form. She had to shake the thoughts from her mind for now. The others couldn't know that there had been a change within her. Hinata already figured it out. No one else could know. Especially not Sasuke.

Mayu took a glance at the young Uchiha. He moved alongside her, matching her pace perfectly. Even though the target of his retribution was so close by, he remained calm. Sasuke held impressive restraint, but what would happen to that restraint if he learned the truth. The dark kunoichi was willing to bet that the restraint would shatter. He couldn't know. Not yet. She would have to distract him whenever they ran into Itachi. She wanted—no, _needed_ answers. If that were to happen, Itachi couldn't have unnecessary distractions. She'd have to do something about that partner of his, too. In the past, that blue-faced enemy had proven to be quite the blabbermouth. Eyes widening, she forced herself not to gasp out loud. Shit! She had forgotten about Hoshigaki Kisame!

"Kiba…!" she suddenly shouted. Mayu ignored the attention focused on her.

"What? Don't talk to me! It's hard enough trying to concentrate on what little scent there is!" Kiba growled, barely looking over his shoulder at her.

"You idiot! Akatsuki usually travels in pairs! Is there another scent other than Itachi?!"

"Right, Uchiha Itachi's partner is Hoshigaki Kisame," Kakashi stated. "Try really hard, Kiba. This is important. Is there another scent?" The young Inuzuka clenched his teeth, and this his hands came together in a hand sign. It was quiet for a few moments while Kiba focused his nose on what lied ahead.

"No…" he finally announced. "No, wait… It's weird. There's another person, but our target's scent is almost completely overshadowing theirs."

"Could that mean…" Ino began, frowning. "That they _know_ we're following them? It seems like Itachi is purposefully shrouding his partner's scent."

"I wouldn't put it pass him," Sasuke spoke up. "If he knows, he'll definitely take precautions. But this seems a little too small scale for a guy like him." Suddenly, Kiba gasped loudly. "What? What is it?"

"His scent just broke off into three different directions!" he nearly shouted. "Instead of traveling north, like he has been, the split scents sharply changed their course. One went east. Another went south, and the last one is coming our way fast—the one hiding using Itachi's scent! But even then, which real scent do I go after?!"

"I believe it is highly illogical to separate at this point," Sai mentioned. "One Akatsuki member by himself proves to be quite dangerous."

"We don't have to split up," Sasuke stated. He looked towards his blond teammate. "Naruto—do it."

"Okay!" The blue-eyed shinobi formed his signature hand sign. Within a second, four clones popped into existence. "I'll just send two clones to scout ahead to find the real Itachi!"

"Nice, Naruto!" Mayu praised. "But do not engage in combat with him. Report back here immediately, so we know which way to go!" The four clones eagerly agreed, and then sped off in opposite directions. "How long do we have until we encounter, Kiba?"

"I'd say five minutes," he answered. "This guy's really fast. And at the pace Naruto's going, he won't-" Kiba halted mid-sentence. Sensing his partner's sudden distress, Akamaru landed on the forest floor and did not move again. The others, confused, followed suit. Mayu noticed how tense Kiba's back had become. "Shit..." he cursed. "I didn't realize."

"What?" Ino asked. "Why did we stop?"

"I was so focused on the scent ahead of us, I overlooked the lingering scent altogether," Kiba explained. "It's everywhere."

"What do you mean everywhere?!" Naruto asked.

"Everywhere! Everywhere! Don't you get it?!" Obviously Kiba was becoming irate. Pretty soon Naruto would lash out because of the Inuzuka's tone. Sighing heavily, Mayu shut her eyes, and then expanded her sense of smell. Her nose twitched as the enhanced scents overwhelmed her nose. She bit her lower lip as she filtered through her comrades' scents, trying to locate the lingering scent. A sharp gasp escaped her lips. Not only had she realized what Kiba had been referring to, but she had recognized the scent as well. Smothered as it might have been by Itachi's scent, she definitely identified it. After all, she had spent hours memorizing it. Clenching her jaw, Mayu curled her fingers and formed fists.

Hinata went to work trying to figure out what her teammate had been trying to get at. It hadn't helped that her best friend had suddenly appeared anxious. The kunoichi triggered her advanced bloodline, taking in all of her surroundings. She couldn't help the gasp that left her mouth either. "All around us," she began, sounding panicked. "There are explosive notes all around us! Under our feet, scattered amongst the trees, everywhere!"

"A trap then…" Sai narrowed his eyes, gaze involuntarily shifting between his teammates. "We've been led into a trap."

"What do we do? The enemy's fast approaching and we're trapped! We're sitting ducks!" Kiba exclaimed. His sharp eyes turned to the older ninja.

"We only have one option," Kakashi stated, frowning. "We'll have to disable the one responsible for the notes. I'm assuming that the enemy already knows of our whereabouts and plans to exploit the fact that we can't move."

"But why? Wouldn't it be easier to just get it over with? And why is the enemy coming towards us in the first place? What's the point?" Ino questioned. "And how could they have possibly known we're after-"

"My guess is that they have an expert at chakra-sensing on their side," Kakashi said.

"There's that…" Mayu mumbled. _"Or they have someone who just knows,"_ she finished in thought. Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, the kunoichi turned her attention to the white-haired man, who had resumed speaking. He wanted everyone to be on guard for the oncoming enemy. He inferred from Ino's questions that the enemy didn't necessarily intend to kill. Probably. Still, they had to remember that Naruto was Akatsuki primary objective.

"It's bothering me!" Ino suddenly exclaimed, breaking the silence. "How did they know we were tracking them by _scent_? I mean, they obviously know since they tried to confuse our senses, but _how_?"

"Does it really matter at this point?!" Kiba nearly growled. "The enemy's coming—_that's_ what we need to focus on!" Ino immediately glared.

"Calm down, Yamanaka-san," Sai suggested. This did little from stopping the blond kunoichi from softening her gaze. In fact, she only shifted her fierce look to the pale ninja. "As Kakashi-sensei said previously, they might have sensed that we're using ninja dogs. The mutt is right about this." Sai's teammates either deadpanned or rolled their eyes as the young Inuzuka rounded on him about the nickname. Suddenly, the nostrils of Kiba and Mayu flared several times. Almost simultaneously, their heads snapped to the left. The others followed their gazes up. There, perched on the tallest branch of a tree stood a figure cloaked in black—with red clothes lined in white.

Before the dawn—Akatsuki's pet and spy.

Mayu hadn't been the only one to recognize the foreign teen. Ino, eyes wide, pointed a finger. "You're Yaya-chan!" The enemy stood to her full height with her hands positioned on her hips. She showed her teeth in a grin.

"Oh sweetness! _You're_ one of my fans, too?" she asked, seemingly excited. An embarrassed flush dusted Ino's cheeks. Her finger curled and her hand slowly dropped to her side. From the corner of her eye, Mayu noted that Hinata sported a similar blush. The darker kunoichi almost rolled her eyes. Hinata, too…? This girl really did have a strange charisma about her. "I'm flattered that I have so many kunoichi fans."

"_Had_ so many!" Ino exclaimed. "Tsunade-sama told me about your involvement with Akatsuki! I didn't want to believe that you're a member, but-" Yasmine sighed heavily, interrupting the blond kunoichi.

"I'm not a part of Akatsuki! I just funded them, that's _it_! They're a lot of idols who funded organizations."

"You're _wearing_ the _cloak_ in broad _daylight_!" Mayu pointed out. Yasmine merely shrugged.

"I like wearing the other members' cloaks," she stated nonchalantly. "Sasori nearly killed me when I managed to nab his. That was a _traumatizing_ experience. If he was still alive, I'm pretty sure he'd still glare at me for no reason."

"_This girl… She's been with Akatsuki for a long time,"_ Kakashi observed in thought. _"But she wasn't on the list Kabuto left behind…"_ He took a glance at the rest of his platoon before returning his attention back to the foreigner. "Don't make any sudden moves," he ordered. "She's severely outnumbered, so just observed for now." The girl frowned, letting her arms fall.

"You think that I'd really come outnumbered? I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid," Yasmine said. "You're the ones outnumbered here." She spread her arms out, gesturing to her surroundings. "I'm sure you've already noticed, since you have the Byakugan, but there are numerous bombs planted all around you. Make one false move and its game over for you all."

"Why are you doing this?!" Mayu shouted. "You say you're not a member and yet you do things like this. You are a _criminal_!"

"… A _smooth_ criminal? One that you can be hit by?" She snapped her fingers twice. "Struck by?" She snapped once more. "A smooth criminal?"

"…" Mayu immediately regretted calling the foreigner a criminal. What made it so bad was that Yasmine reminded her so much of herself. Anyway, this girl was better than who it could have been. "We don't have time to play with you, so just get out of our way!"

"None of you are in any position to make demands," Yasmine said. "You don't have a choice in the matter." She grinned. "So play with me." Although she sounded cheerful, the demand had certain wickedness to it as well. "Oh yes… And before you ninja get any bright ideas—Uchiha Sasuke, I'm looking at _you_—my unconsciousness or death will result in the notes blowing up." Behind her, the shinobi in question halted his actions. He narrowed his eyes, the hilt of his sword mere centimeters away from the girl's head. Several of the ninja below made frustrated noises. Yasmine turned her head. Before she could move any further, Sasuke jumped away from her. He knew from experience that a strike from her could result in him being incapacitated and useless to his team.

"No matter what, don't let her touch you," he told his teammates and comrades upon returning to his original position beside Naruto.

"So we can't attack her, but we're supposed to avoid her attacks?" Kiba growled loudly, definitely not liking the idea of being on the defensive.

"There must be _something_ we can do!" Ino said, never taking her eyes off the enemy.

"If you have a plan, I'm all ears," Naruto exclaimed. "She's in the way of our mission!"

"Our target is getting further away…" Sai mentioned.

"Look—if I had a plan, I would have already suggested it!" Ino sneered.

"Everyone calm down!" Kakashi ordered before Naruto could retort. "If doesn't always have to end with violence." He addressed the foreign teen. "You're not a part of Akatsuki, you say? Well, that's good. I'm sure we can negotiate to settle this matter peacefully. Yaya-chan, was it? You seem to be a very smart girl… Surely, you must realize your predicament."

"What do you mean?" Yasmine asked.

"Akatsuki has sent you here, alone, to halt our mission, yes? Think about it clearly," Kakashi said. "Why would they send a single person to hold their own against a whole platoon of ninja? Sure you have the explosive notes, but they will only get you so far. Eventually, we will find a way around them and get to you."

"I don't understand, Kakashi-san. What are you trying to say?"

"Wouldn't you agree that it's dangerous?" he continued. "Not just this instance, but the last time as well. They sent you to infiltrate an entire village of ninja. You could have been killed. You could be killed now." The foreigner's brow furrowed. Her head shifted a bit. "What I'm saying is, Akatsuki intended to send you to your _death_." The girl looked visibly shaken by his words. It was a bluff, though. Kakashi had no way of knowing if that were true. However, if he could just get the foreign teen to drop her guard, they could continue to pursue Itachi. Perhaps even gain necessary information from her. "There's no reason to throw your life away for an organization like Akatsuki. Please disarm your bombs and we won't have to fight." She lowered her head and bit her lower lip as if contemplating his words. Just when Kakashi believed that the girl bought it, a grin stretched on her face.

"_Aww_, you don't want to fight me?" Yasmine cooed. "Now where's the fun in _that_?" She shrugged. "I guess I'll have to-" Her grin—no, her entire facial expression changed, hardened. "-_provoke you_ into attacking!" Even her voice hardened. Before any of the ninja could blink the foreigner disappeared and reappeared in between Kakashi and Yamato. Her arms stretched out knocking against the two. Grunting, they fell to the ground, paralyzed. Kiba, who was closer to them, shouted obscenities as he dashed towards the foreigner, intending to strike with his right fist. Yasmine had seen him coming, however. She hopped up, just missing the attack. Balancing on his outstretched arm, she curled her body and rammed her right knee into the young Inuzuka's cheek. Disoriented and in pain, Kiba could not stop the punches to his abdomen. He, too, fell paralyzed. "Don't even think about it, Akamaru!" Yasmine said. "I'd rather not punch animals." The large dog growled menacingly, but didn't retaliate. "Do you understand now? All of you are at a disadvantage."

Mayu did see. She understood clearly. Her tactics, though unorthodox, worked like a charm. Yasmine really was similar to her. It was simple, really. She lured her opponents into a false sense of security. She made them think that she was vulnerable and that they were clearly stronger. This would cause her opponents to underestimate her, and then she would strike. This was the reason Mayu's fight with her had ended the way it did. That was her charm. Gosh, she was like a pokemon. This was the reason that in the end, she would not be able to kill her. The kunoichi understood so clearly now. Fortunately, despite all her charm, there was a way to combat this person. Because they were so similar, Mayu knew exactly what to do. However, there was the matter of timing.

"It is done," Sai spoke, drawing the attention of everyone. "I have dispatched and ordered my mice to locate and destroy the explosive notes around us. It took time, but they had done as ordered."

"Nice one, Sai…!" Naruto praised. Yasmine frowned, placing her hands on her hips.

"And what about the ones underneath your feet?" she questioned.

"Also taken care of," Shino was the one to answer. "My bugs have been busy while you have been talking. You are no longer at an advantage. Why you ask? Because you have failed to realize that you had become outnumbered the moment I found out about your bombs." The foreigner grimaced at the mention of bugs.

"Bloody hell…" she muttered in her native tongue. "Can't we talk about this?"

"No!" Ino hissed. "Get the hell out of the way!" The blond kunoichi charged. Yasmine immediately went on the defensive, working hard to avoid Ino's fists and legs.

Mayu narrowed her eyes, watching her comrade and enemy dance around each other. Ino was agile enough to block and evade the foreigner's strikes as well. Good. This was her chance. "Guys, listen up!" She glanced at her comrades. "Although the explosive notes have been dealt with, we still can't knock her unconscious or kill her." Sai immediately asked why. "Well, sweetie, she might not be a member of the organization, but she _knows_ the organization. We can use that information to locate other members maybe even the leader. She can't die. Also, we need Kakashi-sensei and Captain Yamato's bodies working if we're to continue the mission and I think she's the only one that can fix them. And we can't wait around for her to become tired either."

"Then what do we do?" Hinata asked. Mayu gave her a half-grin. The Hyuga couldn't say that she liked the look. It made her feel anxious. The other half of the grin… had been sad.

"Don't you worry, Hinata, I've got a plan that should work wonders," Mayu replied. "Sasuke, Sai, Akamaru—I'm going to need you for this."

Clenching her teeth, Yasmine just barely dodged Ino's right hook. Again. She wouldn't be able to keep this pointless dance up for long. _"Gosh, I wish he'd hurry up!" _she thought, ducking to avoid the high kick the blond had attempted to land. _"I don't even have to be there to know he's deep into his monologue!"_ For the moment, she ignored her alter ego shouting directions. Why was Ino attacking her so viciously? Better yet, why was she attacking at all? It's not like she provoked _her_. "But what if I did somehow?" Yasmine narrowed her eyes. She took a glance in Mayu's direction. That girl had changed so much of the story that predicting what direction the story was going felt almost impossible. Not to mention the _characters_. Ino had been attacking like she had a personal vendetta against her. That glare on her face was definitely an indication. Yasmine's back slammed into the trunk of a tree, missing Ino's heel by a mere inch. The blond used the momentum of the twirl to follow up with a straight jab. If she was hit by a punch from her, she would be done for, courtesy of the kunoichi actually being the Fifth Hokage's student.

Yasmine jerked her body forward and tackled Ino hard, focusing on her midsection. Ha. She had practically _hugged_ the kunoichi. _Effin_' awesome. Despite the situation, the grin couldn't be erased from her face. Ino had reacted quickly to the tackle. The moment her back hit the bark, she flung Yasmine off and over her head. That was just fine, actually. Scrambling away from the frustrated ninja, the foreigner blew a raspberry over her shoulder, further irritating Ino. Come on, she thought. Take the bait. The kunoichi did, of course, releasing an aggravated snarl. Ino's emotional ties to this confrontation might have been confusing, but they were there, and so it was easy to manipulate them. As she was chased through the trees, Yasmine prayed that some type of signal would be given any second now.

"Guys, I found him!" Naruto exclaimed. "He's-"

She stopped listening. She no longer needed to. That had been the signal she was looking for. Quickly she formed the seal of confrontation, half of the ram sign, and channeled her chakra. "Katsu…!" Yasmine whispered. It hadn't been a bluff—thank goodness—that Sai and Shino had gotten rid of the explosives notes in the surrounding area. However, they hadn't managed to destroy them all. Now, the notes were going off, all of them, at once. The explosions caused the ground to rumble and shake. It was all she needed for her pursuer to stumble, giving her the split second chance to counter, which she did. Sharply turning, her fists made contact with Ino's right shoulder, her left side, and finally, the small of her back. The kunoichi's knees buckled and she gasped as though surprised by the sudden paralysis. And for the finisher, Yasmine struck the back of her head, sending her hurtling down to the group of ninja. The force behind the strike had only been enough to knock her over, not unconscious. Sai, the pale one, had been the one to catch her.

She rather liked him. He was funny. People liked to pair him with Sakura and/or Ino. Yasmine didn't quite get it, though. Sai was like an awkward turtle—worse than an awkward turtle. Honestly, he had caught her, but not in a conventional sort of way. Well, that soppy conventional bridal style sort of way. He had caught her as though she was a _football_. A football, really! Mentally, Yasmine shook her head. There was no hope for a pairing such as that, in her opinion, at least. "Sai, do it!" Interest piqued, brown eyes shifted to her. Ishikari Mayu looked right back at her with such a melancholy expression that Yasmine couldn't help to arch a brow. Sai, as seemingly commanded, dropped Ino to ground, causing her to harshly shriek that he was the son of a bitch. Despite herself, she laughed. She had completely missed Sasuke throwing the smoke bomb because of it.

Odd. The shroud of smoke was enough to cover the entire group of ninja—paralyzed or not—but not big enough for a getaway. She could clearly see if they would try to escape. They hadn't. The smoke had cleared, revealing them in the same position she had last seen them. Except for Ino. Her body had been draped across Akamaru's back. "The point of that was…?" Yasmine asked, wanting for someone to fill in the blank.

"No… No point," Mayu stated. Yasmine stared at her, showing her suspicion. There was something _off_ with the way she said it. "But I've realized there's only one way to deal with you." As she continued speaking, her voice became calmer and confident. "I know you, so… I know exactly what to do… for your cooperation."

_Hm_… Yasmine had wanted to end it. Really, she did. This whole paralyzing main characters was taking a toll on her. Honestly, she had expected her tactics to work… just not this _well_. It was too late, though. Like a two-year-old, she had become curious. "My cooperation?" she echoed. "Mary-sama, are you going to do _that_ now?" The dark kunoichi nodded without another word. Yasmine smiled. "Go for it. Do what you have to do because there's only one way you can get my cooperation. And we both know that…" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Do they?"

"We've wasted too much time on you already. Let's end this!" Mayu exclaimed. "Naruto, Hinata, listen closely to my voice… Fulfill Yasmine's desire."

Yasmine watched as the two in subject suddenly went rigid. She blinked as they began gravitating towards one another. Her eyes widened as their faces inched closer together. The grin stretched on her face as Hinata's and Naruto's eyes shut. Finally, the squeal of absolute glee erupted from her mouth as Naruto's lips gently touched Hinata's cheek. And then the blood came, spouting from her nose like a geyser. Clutching her bloody nose, Yasmine continued squealing as she jogged in place.

Mayu almost rolled her eyes. Fangasm—a Narutard's true weakness. Quickly, Sai summoned two ink snakes. They shot toward Yasmine, wrapping around her wrists and ankles, biding them together. The ploy had been a success… maybe too much of a success. Blue eyes glance over in Ino's direction. Though Yasmine's squeal had been ear-splitting, Mayu could have sworn she heard the pig's squeal as well. The flush on her comrade's face only increased her suspicion. But she decided to store that information at the back of her mind for a moment. The kunoichi leapt up to where Yasmine had fallen over. There was so much blood. It was a surprise she hadn't passed out from the loss. No, instead, she continued to giggle insanely. This time, Mayu did roll her eyes. She picked up the foreigner, and then dropped back down to her comrades.

"You've been captured, so do what I tell you and you'll live," Mayu hoisted Yasmine into a standing position. "Release the paralysis."

"Don't need to," she replied with a shrug. Another giggle escaped her lips. "They should be fine in a few moments." As she said, within a few seconds, both Kakashi and Yamato stood, along with Kiba. Seconds after, Ino slid off of Akamaru's back and stood. "There, no need to get your knickers in a twist. I'm your prisoner. I've got no choice but to listen now, right?" Many of the ninja gave her wary, confused looks.

"I don't get you," Kiba muttered. "All this… this _drama_ and you're alright with getting captured?"

"Well, it's not like you guys were going to capture anyone else, so-"

"What does that mean?" Sasuke finally spoke up. Yasmine merely grinned. Scowling, the young Uchiha grabbed onto the Akatsuki cloak and yanked the foreigner forward. "_What_ does that mean? You know something we don't?"

"Yes, lots of things, actually." Yasmine didn't bat an eyelash at Sasuke's intimidating presence. "But to be clear, the one you've been looking for—Uchiha Itachi—he's nowhere near here, I believe. You've all just been chasing his clone. Think about it clearly… Akatsuki travels in pairs, but you all know that I'm not partnered with any of them. Sorry, but your mission ends here. Congratulations!"

"I don't understand you… I _can't_ understand you," Mayu shook her head. "You're insane!"

"And you're just figuring that out _now_?"**  
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Sasuke roughly shook the foreigner. "Talk straight! What do you mean from the 'get go?' What have you planned?!" he demanded to know. Yasmine shook her head a bit.

"Hey, I told you not to get your knickers in a twist! Calm down and I'll tell you!" she exclaimed. "Jeez… Anyway, that whole sneaking Akatsuki into the villages as my entourage was my idea. Would've worked, I'm sure, but Deidara-nii was hardheaded and Sasori—well, he didn't like me or my ideas." She shrugged a bit. "Also, I'm responsible for Hokage-sama _finding_ information on Itachi in the first place, which led to this mission. I even lured Orochimaru here just so he would find you first. I'm quite clever actually."

"So clever that you got caught?!" Kiba snarled.

"… Players fuck up!" Yasmine protested. "Nice tactic, by the way, Mary-sama! I thought you were going to use it, but I didn't think you would use it like _that_! Honestly, getting cute little Hinata and Naruto to go along with it was brilliant!" Mayu's eyes widened, as did her teammate's and best friend's. "Oh... _Oooh_! They didn't _know_ you were going to mind fu-"

"You shut your mouth! You _shut_ your mouth _right now_!" Mayu had to force herself not to scream. She swallowed hard and clenched her fists, holding them at her sides.

"_Someone's_ touchy," Yasmine remarked. However, she didn't say anything further on the subject. For that, the Ishikari was relieved. Still, she knew that eyes were on her. She _felt_ the horrified expressions even if they weren't there. For a few moments, no one spoke.

"What do we do now…?" Ino finally asked, clenching her jaw. "_If_ what she says is true, then all of this was for _nothing_."

"Oh not for nothing—never for nothing," Yasmine said. "I might be mad, but there is always a method. The gears had been set into motion… Now it's just a matter of waiting for it all to unfold and crumble." Her brown eyes looked in the dark kunoichi's direction again. "Your reaction… will it be horribly satisfying to watch?" Blue eyes expanded in surprise. Not just one. Not just two. But _three_. This made it three different sources, telling her the exact same thing.

_It will be interesting to see your reaction._

_Your reaction will be most amusing to see._

_Your reaction… will it be horribly satisfying to watch?_

What could it mean? And why did her reaction matter so damn much? Mayu frowned, lowering her gaze to the ground. Kyuubi, Kabuto, and now Yasmine-they behaved as though they knew all about her secret clan. Her secret family. All of this did not bode well. It made her feel uneasy. It made her feel lost. So utterly lost. Chances were that her feelings, her _reaction_, would only make the oncoming storm that much worse. Oh yes. A storm was definitely on the way. When it finally does hit, would it shake her very foundation until there was nothing left? Her core, her very being, could it become altered because of whatever it was that she was supposed to react to? These questions both intrigued and scared her. Because she did not know, couldn't possibly know, the answers. For the first time, in a long time, she wished her mother(s) could embrace her and tell her everything would be alright and she needn't worry. Unfortunately, that wish would never again be fulfilled.

For now, Mayu could only rely on her own arms for comfort.

0-0

Okay, readers, I have a legitimate drug-I mean _excuse_ as to why I haven't been writing. My job has insisted that I work more, so my free time consists mostly of sleeping in, freaking out, winding down and _Doctor Who-_ing it up. So I must apologize for that. My emotions haven't been very balanced as of late, so I couldn't bring myself to write this chapter quickly, even though I knew what was going to happen in the chapter.

By the way, this is the last chapter in this arc. So tell me what you thought! I can't wait to see your opinions.

Hopefully, I'll begin writing frequently again, but I'm starting to realize that I have a life outside of this.


	31. Interlude I: Road to Sasuke

One sentence. One rose. That's all it took. Most girls easily fell into a blushing, stammering mess due to his charm. Admittedly, it was cute. Fun, too. Having girls squeal his name was a bit annoying, but the attention would always be worth it. After all, getting attention from any other source seemed impossible now. Not that he was bitter, but he had accepted that he would never live up to his father's expectations. His father had stopped paying attention to him long ago, so naturally, he had come to seek attention elsewhere. Fortunately, it had always come easy attracting the opposite sex. Without much effort, he had most girls eating out of his palm, hanging on his every word. Most girls, anyway. There were, of course, exceptions to his effortless charm. Hands slipping into his pockets, Uchiha Sasuke furrowed his brow as walked, intending to head into town.

One exception was Hyuga Hinata. She had filled out quite nicely. Her choice of attire only enhanced her best features. Most likely, she would be a beautiful woman. However, she was ill-tempered and domineering, almost constantly snapping at people. Well, other females, at least. If one girl happened to even glance at the object of her affections for more than a second, her death threats would send them reeling. The same went with boys that tried to flirt with her. He, himself, had made the mistake of charming her. Hinata had threatened to peel his dick like a banana and feed it to Akamaru. The very image had given him nightmares, so he had opted not to interact with the kunoichi more than necessary.

Another exception was Yamanaka Ino. There were plenty types of girls, but she was the one type Sasuke found himself disliking. She was too nice, too plain, and too naïve. Much too innocent for his tastes. Ino hadn't even realized he had been trying to flirt with her. She had shyly told him the definition of rose and what the flower meant, and then had pointed out that she _disliked_ flowers of any kind despite her knowledge of them. She then pointed out that she was rather fond of sand. Ino was not a normal girl. Sasuke decided then that he wouldn't even try to woo the blond kunoichi. A lost cause, she was. For someone so against negative encounters, she would forever be oblivious to positive ones.

Then there was Haruno Sakura, the daughter of heroes. Completely off-limits. Not only had she been his teammate for years, but she had become similar to a best friend. Whether he cared to admit it or not. Honestly, his line of _always being on her side_ was the truth. Not in a romantic sense, but true nonetheless. Sakura, though, didn't realize it. She'd blush and chuckle, but otherwise brush it aside as nothing. Really, he only continued to say it to her, from time to time, because it was a habit. She was a girl, after all. Also, he tended to say it to her when she appeared upset. Rarely, she would admit it, but she missed her parents greatly, and so that had become his way of comforting her. It was the only thing he could do when the subject turned to the village's heroes. Her parents were dead. His were still alive. They wouldn't understand each other when it came to them. Definitely, definitely off-limits.

Finally, a fourth exception, and definitely the most frustrating, was a girl that evaded, ignored, and shot down every attempt at seduction. Out of the kunoichi he had graduated with, she was the most difficult to deal with. She had _partially_ been the reason he had stuck to focusing his alluring charm on civilian girls and not kunoichi. Civilians couldn't _hurt_ him. For as long as he had known her, she hadn't changed. Dangerous. The thought of her usually caused his body to quiver. She was as frigid as the winter and just as deadly. Her detached nature was accompanied by arrogance. Absolutely confidant in her strength and abilities, she looked down on her peers. Anyone, anyone at all, whom she felt was inferior to her in power would be treated as such. Because of that, the manner in which she spoke always sounded insulting. It was a wonder she had even one friend, let alone _two_.

Why was she the most frustrating? Because Ishikari Mayu is the woman he had developed an infuriating, totally unfair and inconvenient crush on. As dangerous as she was, the dark kunoichi had lost her slight boyish features from the Academy years and had become exotically sexy. He had always been curious when it came to unique things, and she was definitely one of them. However, the crush didn't stem from her brown skin and feral blue eyes, though it did contribute. Rather, it was the accidental kiss they had shared when they had been children. Shikamaru had tripped and nearly tackled his back. Unfortunately, Mayu had been standing right in front of him, most likely insulting his accuracy. Their lips and teeth had collided—an accident. The collision had caused blood, but that had not stopped his mind from labeling that as his first kiss. Since then, Sasuke had been drawn to her—a willing moth to her flame.

The young Uchiha internally sighed a bit. That one sentence, one rose thing never worked with her either. Try as he might, his attempts to woo her ended in failure. It was slowly taking a toll on his pride, he just _knew_ it. Maybe he should stop dancing around and actually tell her as Menma suggested. However, he rather liked where his scrotum was and had no intention of causing its misplacement. Sasuke sighed, this time out loud, and halted his walk. He really needed to stop thinking on his way into the village. His thoughts tended to be depressing. "Sasuke-kun…!" Thankfully, there was a distraction coming his way in the form of a cute pouty-face brunette. He recognized her, but couldn't put a name to her face. Remembering names had been a bother, so he opted for a safe route whenever he spoke with a girl.

"Hello, honey," Sasuke greeted once she stopped in front of him. She immediately blushed and giggled. The shinobi smirked and lowered his eyelids. "How long has it been since I've laid eyes on this pretty face?"

"Sasuke-kun, you heartbreaker!" she squealed, playfully slapping his chest. "We saw each other three days ago!"

"Oh and how could I forget that special encounter?" He draped an arm around shoulders and pulled her against him. "Should we have another special encounter?" Her blush darkened a bit at the implication. She squealed and eagerly nodded her head. Smirking, he began to lead her to a more secluded place. This was just what he needed. It would always be what he needed to distract him from her.

0-0

"I don't understand why you just won't tell her."

Sasuke immediately stopped chewing and slowly turned an incredulous gaze to his left. Menma either didn't mind or didn't care. It was probably the latter. He continued eating as though what he had suggested hadn't been completely ridiculous. This hadn't been the first time he had suggested it, though. In fact, soon after he had admitted it out loud to Menma, the blond shinobi had decided that Sasuke should just _go for it_. As if were as easy as flipping a light switch. "Well, you've always been an idiot, so-"

"Shut up, Sasuke!" Menma slammed his ramen bowl against the counter. Sasuke rolled his eyes as he continued eating his meal. He reacted to every little thing recently, and it was a bit annoying. Actually, he and Sakura were somewhat strange as of late. Something, he couldn't quite place it, was weird about them. But it was probably nothing, so he decided to brush it off for now. No one else had tried to investigate the slight shift in them, so why should he? They were still his friends and teammates. "I'm just saying that, _here_, there is nothing stopping you!" He waved his arms wildly. "No amnesia! No massacre! No problem!" Menma must have noticed the arched eyebrow for he stammered out. "Th-Those are just ex-_examples_!" Those were some pretty drastic examples, Sasuke wanted to remark.

"Whatever," he said instead. "Mayu's not… like any other girl. Just coming out to say it won't yield positive results." Menma smacked his forehead, shook his head, and groaned loudly. "Normal tactics won't work with her. She's too… much." Finished with his meal, Sasuke laid his chopsticks across his nearly empty bowl. The broth caused a reflection. His reflection stared impassively back at him. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. It'll fade with time, especially if she keeps having long-termed missions. If I don't see her, I won't-"

"You don't get it at all!" he muttered.

"What?" Sasuke sharply turned his head towards his best friend, a bit miffed that he had been interrupted.

"I don't know your Mayu and she sounds hella scary, but there are some things that just don't change! I'm sure there's a reason that _only you_ have seen something other than her normal expression," Menma continued. "I'm telling you, Sasuke, just _tell_ her. It'll make things so much easier." The Uchiha sighed, and then stood up. This sudden know-it-all attitude Menma had taken on was beginning to piss him off. His best friend acted as he knew a lot more than he was letting on. It wasn't normal and it irritated him to no end. Sasuke threw down his payment and turned to go. Menma hastily did the same, after practically inhaling the rest of his broth, and followed after him. "I'm trying to tell you something important, damn it!"

"You've got more important things to worry about," Sasuke told him. "I sense Hinata making her way towards us." He didn't need to look to know that a panicked expression appeared. "Looks like she's got you on her radar."

"Crap!" Menma halted. "I definitely like our Hinata more! I'm going home, so don't tell her, alright!" The blond turned and ran in the opposite direction. Sasuke watched him go through narrowed eyes. He snorted lightly before continuing his walk. Really, he hadn't sensed the headstrong kunoichi at all. It was a ruse to get his friend off his back. But what did he mean by 'our Hinata,' and 'your Mayu,' though? Seemed a bit unusual even for him. But in the end, he didn't care all that much. Sasuke would rather not get involved with those two and their bizarre relationship.

Anyway, it was getting late, so he decided to head home. His mother was probably going to lecture him about skipping dinner again. Might as well get it over with. Despite that, he wasn't in a rush to get home. Sasuke walked at a slow pace to the outskirts of the village. He had tried to keep his mind blank, but eventually his thoughts would drift, and then ultimately tie to her. Mulling over this dilemma wouldn't do him any good. In fact, he knew he shouldn't think about it. Pretty soon, as he had told Menma, the crush would fade. Out of sight, out of mind. _"If only that were the case…"_ A traitorous thought entered his mind, causing a scowl to appear.

Sasuke stopped, noting that he had reached the crossroad. To the right, and a bit further down, was the Uchiha district. To the left, a ways down the road, was the Ishikari residence. There had been a time when that place wasn't known at all. That had all changed when Uchiha Itachi, his older brother, discovered it roughly ten years ago. Ever since, the clan had become known to the public. Apparently, they had helped greatly in the wars, but were kept secret due to their abilities. Pretentious, he thought it all was. However, that was the clan _she_ hailed from. That was also the clan that his brother was, in his opinion, overly fond of.

"He's not there," a voice whispered right in his ear. It took everything within him not to jump and scurry away. However, the flinch couldn't be covered. He knew the voice quite well. Devoid of any sentiment, that female voice could only belong to one person. Also, there was the fact that she had gotten so close to him without being sensed. "Stop staring down my street." Sasuke stopped himself from shivering.

"This isn't just your street, Mayu," he stated. Then, abruptly, he could sense her clearly. Standing right behind him, waiting for him to become startled had always been her way of greeting him. Slowly, Sasuke turned to face her. He eyed her appearance, deducing that she had been in the village for quite some time. She had changed from her mission clothes into simple clothes. She wore a deep purple shirt, three times her size, and black shorts. Instead of the black boots she usually covered her feet with, she had blue sandals. "I didn't know you were back."

"If you have time to keep tabs on me, then you have time to train," Mayu retorted. "I'd rather not listen to your father speak of your lack of skills over dinner."

"Why were you at my house… for dinner?"

"My parents wished to speak with yours. I accompanied them, hoping Itachi-"

"I don't care anymore."

Her eyebrow twitched, but that was about it. Hearing Mayu talk about his brother had always irked him. Itachi was perfect in everyone's eyes. Having had moved through the ranks of his career so quickly, he was considered a genius—an exceptional ninja by many. Sasuke wasn't bitter, though. Just a bit jealous, that's all; partially because Itachi seemed to have Mayu's adoration. "My parents are still speaking with yours. I had no desire to stay after I finished my meal," she continued, ignoring the glower on Sasuke's face. "Perhaps taking part in another activity before returning home would be beneficial." He didn't reply, only continued to stare at her. She scoffed lightly. "Do what you will." The kunoichi silently moved around him and began heading in the direction of her home.

An image of his best friend came to mind, causing the teen shinobi to fight the urge to roll his eyes. Sasuke slid his tongue over his front teeth. Damn Menma… Nothing had changed between them in nine years, so maybe a change in methods was necessary. What could it hurt to actually listen to the idiot this time? "I want to take you out!" Sasuke blurted. Already he wished he could take it back. He hadn't heard her stop, but she must have. Turning, he realized that she had stopped. Mayu faced him, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"I'm sorry. What did you just say?" she questioned.

"You heard me. I want to take you out." It was too late to take it back; therefore, he might as well go through with it. Sasuke already knew that just one meal wouldn't be enough for Mayu. She could and would eat again. "Another activity to do—I want to take you out." Soon, her expression would switch from neutral to anger. Though rare, she was quite capable of emotion. Unfortunately, Sasuke seemed to be the only one to invoke her anger. He didn't have to wait long for the shift. She uncrossed her arms and pointed a finger at her mouth.

"Read my lips," she said. "And carefully hear what I say." Well, that was just impossible. Sasuke had learned a long time ago not to focus on Mayu's lips when she spoke. Ultimately, he would stop listening and imagine _playing_ with those lips. The consequence of doing that had always been a strike to the abdomen, though she hadn't realized what he had been doing. She had only realized that he hadn't been listening, so that had been her retaliation. So he opted to just listen and pretend to stare at her lips. "You are one thousand years too early for a rematch. Insult me again by suggesting that, and I can't guarantee your safety. I will fucking destroy you, _chuunin_." Definitely angry. She didn't curse like that normally. She tended to refer to him as his rank when angered as well, rubbing the fact that she was of jounin status in his face. Only she, Chouji and Hinata had reached that status of their graduating class. Then her words actually sank in.

"What?" Sasuke muttered, confused. "I didn't-" It suddenly dawned on him that he had been making the same mistake for years. He had told Menma that Mayu was different. He had repeatedly told him that normal tactics wouldn't work on her. Not once had he tried anything different when it came to flirting with her. And she didn't understand his interest because it hadn't been _blatantly_ saying it. She had misunderstood his interactions with her because she was apparently _dense_. Just like Yamanaka Ino. No wonder they were friends! Now, Sasuke just felt like a moron. "Mayu, I didn't mean it like that," he explained. He slowly made his way over to the kunoichi. Any faster and she might have lashed out at him like a panther. Once he was in front of her, he placed his left hand on her right cheek. She glanced at his hand before returning her focus back to his face. "I meant a date. I want to take you out _on a date_." Her angry look vanished. She pressed her lips into a thin line and scratched her left cheek. Sasuke's brow furrowed. Come to think of it, he had seen her do that a few times before. The first time he had seen it had been after their accidental kiss. Instead of one finger, though, she had scratched her cheek furiously with all of her digits.

"A date…?" Mayu repeated. "You wish to date me?"

"Don't try to fight it, Mayu," Sasuke told her. His hand slipped lower to her chin, tilting her head up. "Isn't it time for you to have the taste of Uchiha?" Her shoulders tensed, and then in one fluid motion, she grabbed his wrist and twisted. Before he could blink, she had flipped him and slammed him against the ground. He _effin_' knew it! This would be the last time he would listen to that damn Menma. However, instead of being in a world full of pain, Mayu surprised him by hovering over his body on all fours. She leaned forward, face centimeters away from his. He could feel her warm breath against his lips and it caused heat to explode in his cheeks and spread down. With his hands pinned above his head, Mayu smirked. Actually _smirked_.

"I've _already_ _had_ the taste of Uchiha," she stated. As she spoke, she her lips and nose orbited around his. Sasuke found his nose and lips following her movements. What was this? What had happened to his control? Mayu abruptly stopped. He let out a shaky breath, half of him wanting her to continue those movements. The other half had wanted more. She leaned again, lips barely touching his earlobe. "I had become quite taken by that taste a long time ago. Unfortunately, that Uchiha didn't want my taste. He wanted other girls' tastes. My father has urged me not to get involved with that type of man."

"Do you always listen to _daddy_?" Sasuke questioned once he had found his voice.

"Completely and immediately," she replied. "However, I am a teenager. It is only natural that I become a bit rebellious at this age." Mayu reared back slightly, looking him in the eye. "Still, it wouldn't be the logical thing to do considering that the Uchiha doesn't discriminate tastes." She frowned then. "Give me one good reason why I should disobey my father." Her grip on his wrists increased. "Give me one good reason why I should throw away my pride for such an Uchiha." This was it, Sasuke realized. It was either the moment he would finally get what he had always wanted or the moment he would completely ruin any further chances. It all depended on what he said.

"… Because… you're wrong." Mayu raised a brow at his almost whispered words. "That Uchiha didn't want anyone's taste but yours. He believed that you wanted nothing to do with him, so he settled for less—settled for what was easy, hoping that you would fade if he had others to take your place. In the end, though, all he wanted was you. All he still wants is your taste." Sasuke let a smirk grace his face. "And maybe your bite."

"Is that your answer?"

"That is the truth."

After a moment of silence, the kunoichi above him finally moved, flipping her body over his head. His wrists were released as she stood up straight. "Well then," Mayu mumbled. Sasuke tilted his chin up to look her way. "I had better find that Uchiha before he changes his mind. I'm quite intrigued with the concept of his bite now." She dusted herself off, cleared her throat, and then began walking in a different direction from her home, leading the young Uchiha to question what just happened. He quickly turned and nearly scurried after her. She, of course, did not halt her walk.

"Wha-What? Which Uchiha were you talking about?" Sasuke demanded to know.

"Who other than Uchiha Itachi?"

Okay. This was the _last_ straw. Actually, he had been lying to everyone. He _almost_ felt something akin to abhorrence for his brother and definitely felt bitterness towards him. Why can't you do this like Itachi? Why can't you do that like Itachi? Why can't you _be_ more like Itachi? Sasuke had been hearing the same things since he had been born. Always, he had been compared to his brother. Always, had Itachi been preferred over him. He tended to grin and bear, but not this time. He refused. Itachi wasn't the perfect person like everyone believed him to be anyway. He was a lazy ass that would rather spend his days off reading _Come Come Paradise_ by that Sanin, Orochimaru. Not one person knew that about Itachi except him. It was _maddening_.

Before Sasuke could grab a hold of the kunoichi, she abruptly broke into a run. He called out to her, but she continued to move further and further away. It had been a compulsion to run after her. It had been a compulsion to tackle her. He hadn't thought that she would let him, but it had happened. The two teens tumbled and rolled down a rather steep hill. Fortunately, their bodies stopped just before reaching the lake. With Sasuke on top of her, he showed his displeasure with her wanting his brother. However, before he could utter a word, he noticed the drastic change in Mayu's expression. Though she tried to hide it by biting her lower lip, it was definitely a smile. She was _amused_ by this. "I'm getting real tired of your shit, Mayu," Sasuke told her. The smile was gone now, but there was something in her eyes that reminded him of mirth. "I didn't know you could make jokes."

"There are many things you don't know about me," she replied.

"I know enough." He sat upright on top of her, straddling her midsection. "And I find myself wanting to know more."

"Do you say that to all the girls?" Mayu asked, frowning. She sat up and pushed him off of her.

"Only the girls who hail from the Ishikari clan with the name Mayu. Oh wait, that's just you," Sasuke stated. The kunoichi averted her gaze elsewhere and scratched her cheek again. _No_… Was that-? Was she being _bashful_? He couldn't believe it. Mayu actually had a cute side to her. The kunoichi backed away from him, hands behind her back, and then turned and headed towards the small wooden deck that extended towards the middle of the lake. Smirking, Sasuke followed after her. "How long have you liked me, Mayu?"

"…" Not responding, she sat down at the edge, legs dangling over the side.

"Don't be modest now—tell me." Sasuke sat down to the left of her, pressing his shoulder against hers. It took a beat, but she finally replied.

"Since… we graduated," Mayu admitted, slightly turning her head to the right. Sasuke pushed against her, urging her to continue. "I… I had just passed the final exam. Iruka-sensei had given me my headband, and so I had returned to class. Everyone behaved rather indifferent to my genin status, most likely because they had expected it-" Sasuke had to refrain from rolling his eyes. "-But you… You had smiled at me. As though you were genuinely happy that I had graduated, and for a moment, it had felt as though we had been the only two in existence. My heart—I could hear it beating for the first time and not because of physical exertion. I find myself wondering _why_ more often than I care to admit. My eyes-" Her next sentence was cut off due to the sharp gasp that escaped her lips. As she spoke, Sasuke had gradually leaned towards her and had pressed his nose firmly against her exposed neck.

"Continue. I'm listening," he told her. Honestly, hearing Mayu speak of her obviously not so unrequited feelings made him want to touch her. Kiss her. _Feel_ her. "Tell me more." Sasuke rubbed his nose against the side of her neck, hardly containing his urge to kiss. To his delight, and relief, she did not toss him into the lake for his actions.

"My eyes," Mayu went on. She bit her lower lip because Sasuke's hand began slowly sliding up her left leg, stopping at her inner thigh to trace small circles on her skin. "Were always looking for you after that. Sometimes I hadn't realized, and when I had, my heart would flutter. Itachi told me what it had all meant—a crush." Her heart was fluttering right now, he knew. The blood rushing through her bulging vein actually tickled his lips. "Since Itachi informed me of it, I could not deny it, and so I had accepted it. I did not want it."

"But you can't help yourself, can you?"

"… You speak as though we are the same."

"We are in that aspect." Mayu pushed his hand and leaned away from him. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, but did not question her movement. She finally looked at him. Oh. _Oh_. She wanted to know how it had been for him. "It started, for me, after our kiss—my first taste of you. Involuntarily, that is when feelings for you began. But I thought you had wanted nothing to do with me, so I wanted you to fade from my mind. I thought if I could replace you, then it would be enough. I was wrong."

"_Hm_…" She averted her gaze to the water below.

"… Can I taste you again after all this time?" Sasuke asked, left hand lifting to turn her head towards him.

"Do as you see fit. Though I must warn you, I have not been in a relationship of this nature. I will make mistakes. Socially, I am quite... immature, so there may be times I won't understand your intentions. You must not take my reactions to your... flirting to heart. Also, I will not be labeled as your _honey_ nor will I be tolerant of whom you refer to as 'honey.' In fact, there shouldn't be another person that you call honey anymore. Do you understand?"

"I wouldn't want it any other way."

As Sasuke spoke, he gradually leaned towards her, arm slipping around to grasp the small of her back. Tilting his head, he pressed his lips against hers. It was a simple kiss, yet it was so much more. It was an end. It was a beginning. It felt tingly and mind-numbing. Gentle, yet firm. The young Uchiha smirked against her lips. She tasted like the yakitori his mother just knew was his favorite. Better than the taste of blood, he had to admit. And to think, it had been the words of Menma and Itachi that caused this to happen.

0-0

This is sort of like a present. I honestly didn't mean for my readers to wait that long for that last chapter. My bad. As you pretty much guessed, this piece was inspired by the latest Naruto Shippuden movie.


	32. My Own Enemy

Mayu sighed heavily. In the comforts of her home, she wasn't exactly feeling comfortable at the moment. Another sigh erupted as she opened her eyes. It wasn't as though she was feeling particularly lazy, but it just felt like one of those days. Days where action seemed like a last resort hadn't happened since she had arrived in this world. Her world. Mayu rolled over onto her back. She stared up at the ceiling, remembering her life back there. She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't help but think things were much simpler there than here. Not a lot had happened, but it just felt like it did.

Late into the night, the platoon had returned to the village. They had technically failed their assigned mission. However, the Hokage had been willing to overlook that because of the consolation prize. Yasmine—the spy of Akatsuki had been captured in place of their initial target. Mayu had decided not to think of how information was going to be extracted from the foreign teen. After Kakashi had given his report, the platoon had gone their separate ways. The journey back hadn't been nearly as awkward. Granted, perhaps it would have been if Yasmine hadn't blatantly ignored the atmosphere and sang such lively and cheerful songs. Even Naruto had been somber when they had left the Hokage's office. That, by itself, had been strange.

Now, minutes before noon, Mayu found herself still thinking of that mood her comrades had exuded. Was she thinking too far into things? Her eyes shut again as she pressed the back of her left hand to her bare forehead. Despite her contemplations of yesterday, she had more urgent matters to worry about. Uchiha Itachi was someone to worry about, and maybe even more important, her own clan. She _didn't want_ to think about those things, though. It caused both headache and… and heartache. And so maybe it wasn't a mere accident that her thoughts continued to drift towards the behavior of her comrades.

Mayu abruptly sat up, and then pinched her left cheek hard. Ignoring the throbbing, she lightly slapped her cheek twice. Nothing was going to get accomplished by laying about the house all day. At the very least, she could go into town and purchase another manga… It had been awhile since she had read the last volume. Surely, the author was finished with the next one by now. Kara had just confronted her boyfriend, Masaki, about how kissing her felt like kissing a sibling. They had broken up, she hoped, making it perfect for Kara's newest interest to sweep her off her feet. That sexy devil with the curl—she really hoped Kara liked Tatsu in return. She had been looking forward to the exciting conclusion for weeks. It would be the perfect distraction.

The kunoichi stood up, and then stretched. Now that the thought had entered her mind, she was a bit excited to buy the next volume. She walked briskly through her home, heading for the front door. Once there, she slipped into her sandals and slid open the front door. It was brighter outside, so it took a moment for her eyes to adjust. When they did, her eyes focused another presence. Surprised to see him, Mayu could only stare befuddled. She watched her teammate pace about the courtyard. He didn't even realize. "_Uh_…" She stepped forward, leaning against a banister. "What are you doing here?" He didn't hear her, apparently. How long had he been out here? "_Oi_…! Naruto!" The blond shinobi immediately halted, shoulders tensed. He slowly turned to face her. The kunoichi furrowed her brow as she walked towards him. "What's up?"

"_Um_… Hey, Mayu," he greeted. The kunoichi couldn't help but notice the lack of enthusiasm behind his voice. "Were you about to go out?"

"Yeah—to the bookstore, actually," she grinned. "I'd invite you to come, but we both know you're not interested, right?" Her teammate didn't even blink at her teasing. The serious expression on his face didn't change whatsoever. "Is something wrong? Did something happen, Naruto?"

"Can I talk to you?" he asked.

"… Yeah…" Mayu hesitantly replied. This situation seemed way too awkward for her tastes. She pointed to her home behind her. "Come in. I think I have some juice in the fridge." Naruto nodded his head, and then proceeded to follow her. The kunoichi internally sighed. One, this was awkward. Two, she probably wouldn't get to find out what would happen with Kara and Tatsu. Not today, at least. After removing their shoes, the two headed for the kitchen. The silence felt like it was slowly wiping away her existence. For the first time in a long time, it felt as though she couldn't speak. And because of Uzumaki Naruto. Was this her life now? Tense silences, confusion, and lies? Oh God… This is how Itachi must have felt at one point… before _everything exploded_. With another mental sigh, Mayu opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of blueberry flavored juice. She tossed it to Naruto, who caught it more out of reflex than conscious thought. She didn't bother getting a cup. Naruto and Kiba were the only two who drank from the container. The blond didn't drink, though. He gently placed the juice on the nearby counter. "So what's this about?"

"_Uh_… Our mission—our last mission… _um_, I was really confused at first," Naruto began. "But I… think I get it now. I just want to say… what you did to—I mean, what you made me and Hinata do-" Suddenly, it all came rushing back. Of course. Of _course_! That was one of the reasons everyone had returned to the village in a sober mood. She had revealed her ability, so they probably were confused with how things turned out. "-You used your mind thing on us, right?"

"_Mm_." Mayu nodded her head. "Because of my relationship—past relationship with Akatsuki's spy, I knew that her seeing you kiss Hinata would be something that would make her cooperate despite her affiliation. It had to be done-"

"No!" Naruto blurted out. "No it didn't!" The kunoichi frowned and narrowed her eyes. It was obvious that her teammate was angry and distressed. And why wouldn't he be? She had used him as though he were nothing but a pawn. She had done the one thing that caused shame. And Naruto… Did he feel uneasy about her now? She had violated his mind, after all.

"You're upset because I used mind control on you," Mayu stated. "You're angry with me."

"Yes!" He then hurriedly shook his head. "No! _No_!"

"_Obviously_ you are!" she retorted. "So what—did you come here to tell that what I did was _horrible_?" Mayu swallowed hard. Already she could feel something within her building. "Newsflash, Naruto, I _already_ know that! Yasmine is an asset that we couldn't let get away, not even by death. And I knew—I just knew that it would only be a matter of time before she said or did something that would have one of you strike with the intention of killing her, especially Sasuke and, for some reason, Ino." Her shoulders lifted in a shrug. "So I went with the least damaging option before things got completely out of control." Naruto opened his mouth to speak but Mayu was worked up now and didn't let him. "Did you think I liked it?! Do you honestly believe that I enjoyed forcing a person to obey me?! I don't… In fact, I _hate_ it! I didn't ask for this! That's what an atavism is! It just _jumps_ the generations not caring who it lands on or how they might feel! And that's just it! I may hate it, but this ability is a part of me now and I can't guarantee that I won't use it again. I can't guarantee that I won't be _ordered_ to use it again! So if this is you telling me that you can't be on a team with someone like me then just spit it out because I will not be dragged through your growing resentment of me until it _explodes in my face_!" The kunoichi panted, having had lost her breath during the tangent. "Naru-"

_SMACK_

Naruto had unceremoniously struck his teammate across the face. Before Mayu could react properly, she had been stunned after all, he slapped her cheek again. "Pull-" _Smack_. "-yourself-" _Smack_. "Together!" _Smack_. _Smack_. The first slap had stung, but the others were softer. Still, they had done well in getting the message across. Mayu gingerly rubbed her cheeks with both hands. Naruto grabbed the sides of his head as though it ached. "_Jeez_! What the actual hell?! Are you PMSing? I don't really even know what that means, but I'm pretty sure that's what that was!" Mayu bit her lower lip and stared down at the floor. Come to think of it… His hands came up, palms facing her as though she might attack him. "Seriously, _calm your tits_, alright?" Naruto sighed heavily and dropped his arms before continuing. "That's not why I'm here. _That_ would _never_ happen! The reason I'm upset is because you thought you _needed_ to use it."

"What…? What do you mean?"

Naruto rubbed the side of his head, looked to the floor, and then back at her. "I mean… You're one of my best friends. You don't need to force me to do anything. I'm already there." Mayu furrowed her brow, not quite understanding. "Look—all you have to do is ask. I'm sure Hinata feels the same way. I know that you don't like using your mind control on others, which is another reason I got upset. I know that you didn't want a lot of people knowing about it, either, which is why I was confused, too. You didn't have to use it in that situation. I would have gladly done anything to help if you thought it would work." The kunoichi pursed her lips, eyes downcast. Then, without warning, Naruto grabbed her arm and pulled her forward into his embrace. She blinked rapidly, half in surprise, half to get rid of the tears before they fell. This was the first time. Sure, Naruto would always return her hugs, but he had not initiated one before. His arms were tight about her body, but not unbearably so. So warm and strong—it was nice and familiar. Mayu closed her eyes and relaxed. "Did something else happen while we were on that mission? You're being really paranoid."

"… I… There's a strain on my mind," Mayu admitted. "There are so many things rushing at me at the same time, and try as I might, I can't fight them off. I thought, maybe, you were coming to add to that. More than anything, I don't want to be rejected by those I care about just because of a thing I had no control over."

"Believe me—I know what that's like," he stated. And of course he did. He knew better than anyone. "None of our friends would do that, though." Naruto gave her a tight squeeze. "I'm sure they were just confused by what happened. Especially Hinata. I don't want her thinking I'd randomly kiss her cheek."

"…" Mayu reared back, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. "So you'd be all for kissing other parts of her randomly?"

"NO!" he shouted, flinging his arms away from her. His hands covered his cheeks as he shook his head side to side. "That's not what I meant! You know what I meant!"

"Okay~!" The cheeky grin didn't disappear from her expression. She totally saw that blush. "I guess I've got a little explaining to do today. So much for reading the next volume of _Twin Degrees_." Naruto made a face. Besides Hinata, he was the only one who knew about her fascination with romance manga. He had thought it was strange because he believed she was more into action-type stories. "Thanks for coming over, Naruto. You're the best blond teammate I've ever had!"

"I'm the only blond teammate you've ever had."

"Which is why you're the best!" Mayu smiled brightly. Naruto scoffed and rolled his eyes. Then he smiled in return.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," he said.

"I guess all I needed was a proper hug. I had forgotten how it felt," Mayu murmured. "I didn't think I missed it so much until now."

"What are you talking about? We give each other hugs all the time!"

"No, _I_ give hugs all the time. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just that I'm starting to realize the differences," Mayu explained. "I'm starting to realize that I need hugs, too." Naruto stared at her for a moment. Then he showed his teeth in his trademark grin.

"All you have to do is ask," he repeated. "You deserve to be selfish some of the time, right?"

"I guess I do."

0-0

Before speaking with anyone else, Mayu had decided to locate her uncle instead. There were things that needed to be explained, after all. However, the task of finding him had proved to be frustrating. Every person that she had asked had told her a different location. It felt as though her uncle had purposefully revealed himself in all parts of the village to send her on a wild-goose chase. But how could he possibly know that she had been trying to track him? It wasn't like she had been planning it for a long time. With a sigh, the kunoichi came to a halt in front of a building. The last jounin she had asked stated that her uncle had entered this building about fifteen minutes ago. This building she had rarely entered. In fact, it had been only once before. The Akatsuki member, Hidan, had been delivered here. It was the headquarters of the _Torture and Interrogation Force_.

That's right. Before her mission, he had told her that he had requested to be a member of the Hidden Leaf Village's Intelligence Division. He must have gotten the job then if this is the place that her search would end. _"It better end,"_ Mayu thought with a frown. She had yet to eat lunch. Honestly, she could already feel her stomach beginning to rumble. _"Better make this quick." _She entered the building, immediately spotting a man behind a large desk to the right. To the left was a white door. With her eyes trained on the door, Mayu opened her mouth. "Is Ishikari Morino here?" she questioned. Truth be told, she hadn't gone beyond the lobby.

"_Uh_… I think so," he stammered. The kunoichi raised a brow, and then turned her full attention to the man. To be working with torture specialists, he seemed a bit meek. Before he could speak again, the door opened, causing Mayu's attention to be diverted again. The head of the division appeared surprised to see her. "Ibiki-sempai…!" The man at the desk stood and bowed at the arrival of the higher-ranked ninja. The kunoichi, too, bowed in greeting.

"What brings you here" Ibiki addressed her.

"I'm looking for Ishikari Morino—my uncle. Is he here right now?" Mayu asked.

"He is in the middle of an observation," he answered.

"Observation…? How long will that take?"

Ibiki stared at her for a long before, causing Mayu to feel a bit insecure. The man had such an intimidating gaze. She shifted her body uneasily. Finally, the torture specialist responded. Ibiki turned his back to her and ordered that she follow him. However, it wasn't the answer she had been looking for. In fact, it wasn't an answer at all. Mayu glowered, but followed the man through the door regardless. He lead her through a long hallway, and then down several flights of stairs. After the fifth right turn, the kunoichi began to doubt if she would be able to find her out of this place. Finally, Ibiki halted, causing Mayu to do the same. They were in front of a black door. "Your uncle is here," he stated, making a gesture toward the door. "You may speak with him."

"Should I really be interrupting his observation?"

"Ishikari Morino is a man that won't let distractions affect him."

"… Alright…" Mayu honestly didn't know whether to be proud or insulted. "Shouldn't take too long, anyway." With that said, she bowed to Ibiki, watched him leave, and then opened the door. The room was relatively small. She had spotted her uncle right away, standing near a window. With his eyelids lowered like that, he appeared relaxed. However, as his niece, she knew him well enough to realize that in was in analyzing mode. Mayu stepped closer and followed his gaze. He was focused on the person on the other side of the window. The young teen grimaced, holding back a gasp. The person, trapped in a completely white room, was none other than Akatsuki's captured spy. She had been stripped of the cloak she had worn when she had been dropped off. Now, she wore a bloodstained tank top and skin-tight black shorts. With her wrists bound to the wall and spread out, she couldn't use her paralyzing technique. Her head was bowed, leaving her face unseen. Her skin had various kinds of medical dress. Mayu carefully slid her expression neutral. "She's been-" The kunoichi swallowed. "-interrogated then?"

"Yes," her uncle replied. "Both physically and psychologically."

"Both? Isn't that going a bit far? I'm sure tickling would have worked!"

"No," Mori shook his head. "Since the interrogation began, she has willingly given us information. However, the information she has provided is useless. Concerning Akatsuki, she has only stated trivial things. I'm sure the Hokage could care less about the organization's choice in underwear." He had been trying to make a joke, but honestly, Mayu did not have a sense of humor right now. "_Mah_… It can't be helped. The interrogation will continue until she can provide useful information." He crossed his arms. "The longer she remains quiet, the longer her interrogation will be. If only there were a way to make her talk truthfully… her suffering could end."

"Uncle…" Mayu suddenly felt really irritated. She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. "You led me here on purpose, didn't you? You want me to use my ability on her." Finally, she cut her eyes to the man beside her. "Ibiki-san—does he know about it?"

"Yes, I told him what you are capable of," Mori answered, not shifting his gaze. "He has allowed you to interrogate her. Actually, Ibiki-sempai would rather not inflict pain on children. So before he could interrogate her, I requested that you try."

"Why? Why would you tell him? My ability-"

"Shouldn't go to waste," her uncle interrupted. He finally turned to face her. "Mayu, your mind control could very well change the process of interrogation. Not to mention, you could always have a place here. Once you become a chuunin, you could immediately be given the rank of special jounin with your ability. Your pay would increase exponentially without the dangers of being an average ninja. It would be a stable job with a stable paycheck. I thought of your future, and so, yes, I did tell Ibiki-sempai of your ability. He agrees that your talent is something he wouldn't mind using."

"It is _not_ a talent!" Mayu clenched her fists at her sides. "It is a _curse_ given to me because I couldn't contain my anger and sadness… and hatred."

"Cu-Curse…?" He had the nerve to appear incredulous. "It is a blessing! I would-"

"If I could give it to you, I would _in a heartbeat_!" she hissed. "And anyway, I definitely told you that you couldn't interfere with my life anymore, so _piss off_!" Mayu sharply turned, intending to go.

"Mind control is not as bad as you make it out to be! That girl in there will have unimaginable pain inflicted on her. You'll leave, knowing that you could have stopped it, just because the way in which you stop it _feels wrong_ to you? Would you let countless people suffer just because you didn't want to use your ability? That way of thinking… is more wrong." The kunoichi's shoulders slouched. "Mayu, you see mind control as a separate entity from you, but that's not true. It is a part of you. It is another element that makes up you as a whole. The sooner you accept yourself, the sooner the conflict within you will cease." Mori sighed. "Now please, if Ibiki-sempai gets his hands on her, she _will_ break." It took a moment, but Mayu relented. "Go through this door," he instructed, stepping aside. The kunoichi slowly turned and eyed the door connecting the two rooms. "You have until Ibiki-sempai comes back."

Mayu breathed in deeply, and then released only through her nose. Without another word to her uncle, she opened the door and stepped inside the next room. Her eyes had to adjust to the all white space. It wasn't easy at all. She slowly moved towards the spy of Akatsuki, glancing behind her. It hadn't been a window, but a reflective type of glass. She had seen it many times whilst watching crime dramas in that other world. Swallowing hard, Mayu refocused her attention on the captured girl. "When are you going to stop, Yasmine?" she questioned. Her head moved a bit, as though she was struggling to lift it. "This isn't a game or a fake world we live in. Your actions will hurt and eventually kill you if you continue down this path."

"Do you…" Yasmine spoke up, voice conveying her fatigue. "Do you… take me… for an idiot?" And she was really Yasmine, not the brash alter ego. "I've… lived here… for over… four years… The moment I nearly died—the moment I was saved—is the moment I knew this place… is as much reality as that place. Do not… patronize me…"

"So if you know, why are you unwilling to cooperate? Do you think just because this is the Leaf village that they'll go easy on you? You're an enemy with valuable information, so no, they wouldn't dream of it," Mayu continued. "Ibiki-san will-"

"I have already answered their questions truthfully," Yasmine said. "It's not my fault they won't believe me."

"Is that the truth?"

"Why would I lie anymore? After what they did to Yasume?" So it had been the alter ego who had taken the pain? "I admit that I know Akatsuki. I admit that I have been with them for years. However, I was merely their pet."

"And people tell their pets everything," Mayu retorted. "You're making a mistake by protecting them, Yasmine! Can't you see that?"

"… Didn't I tell you before…? You've got your family, and I've got mine." The foreign teen lifted her head. Her face had been completely untouched. "Hurry up already… Take away my will and make me speak. Isn't that what you're here to do?" Mayu frowned and averted her eyes for a moment. "_Ah_… So that's it. That's so selfish. Just do it already—your mind control."

"How is my not wanting to strip away someone's will selfish?"

"Because you're only looking at it through your perspective, only thinking about _your_ feelings." Yasmine sighed heavily. "That's the definition of selfish, isn't it?" Mayu didn't reply. "I'm right, aren't I? I'm totally right. Being selfish like this… Aren't you wasting time? Learn the information you seek and be done with it. Yasume may have taken the pain, but I feel the ache." And suddenly the foreign teen was shouting. "Get it_ over with_!" Mayu found herself flinching. Her voice had resounded and echoed throughout the room.

"Fine… Fine, I got it," she murmured. The young Ishikari bit her lower lip before continuing. "You must tell the truth from now until I release your mind. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Then answer me, why haven't you answered their questions honestly?"

"I have answered their questions right. Their questions are wrong. Questions like 'what can you tell us?' and 'what vital information do you know?' can be interpreted differently. I find the sleeping positions of Akatsuki quite valuable."

"_I can see why the torture went on…"_ Mayu thought. _"She was being difficult on purpose."_ She crossed her arms. "You knew it would come to this. You knew they would eventually send for me. Why do you want me to use my ability on you so bad?"

"I wanted to see if I could somehow bypass your control."

"Have you…?"

"No."

Mayu almost released a sigh. Whether it was disappointment or relieve, she didn't know. Anyway, she was getting off topic. She had been lured here to interrogate the girl about Akatsuki. But how…? Even with mind control, she could end up asking the same wrong questions. She had never interrogated someone before, especially not like this. But… she had better get used to it and quickly. Because next time, it wouldn't be a request. Mayu clenched her jaw, and then sighed out. "Let's begin again," she said.

After roughly four minutes, Mayu began feeling the strain. She gripped her forehead and panted softly. This was the longest she had ever used her mind control. Her blue eyes shifted to Yasmine again. She had been full of information concerning Akatsuki, after all. Instead of focusing on specific questions, Mayu had asked her what information she knew that she thought was valuable to the Leaf village. Worked like a charm. The identities of Akatsuki members, some of their capabilities, and even their designated targets had come from her mouth. However, there were things she hadn't known like the identity of the leader. To her, he was just 'Leader-sama.' She also hadn't known Akatsuki's purpose for taking the beasts from their jailors—their endgame. Yasmine had been speaking as though the information didn't matter to her. She had spoken as though she had been a robot. It was something her power did. Maybe that contributed to the reason she disliked it. Anyway, it was time to end this. But… There was something she wanted to know.

"… One more question…" Mayu murmured. She hesitated, but eventually continued. "_You and I_," she started in English. Honestly, she didn't want her uncle to know about this part. "_Could we have been friends_? _If the circumstances were different and you hadn't gone down this path, Yasmine, could we have been friends_?"

"_Yes, that is correct_," she answered back in English. The kunoichi swallowed hard.

"_Why do you think that_?"

"_Because you would have saved me. You would have found me, and you would have same me_," she stated. "_If it was you, I would have allowed it_."

"_Why can't I now_?"

"_I don't want to be saved by you anymore_. _I can't be saved by you anymore._"

Mayu swallowed hard again. She wanted to ask why, but she felt more and more dizzy. She sharply turned away from the foreigner, releasing her control on her mind. Taking fast shuddering breaths, she backed away. "We're done… We're done here." The kunoichi turned to leave, but she stopped once Yasmine spoke.

"_Aren't you forgetting something_? _You don't want to know why I said that to you_?"

_Your reaction—will it be horribly satisfying to watch?_

"_Honestly, I was just paraphrasing what I heard_," Yasmine continued. "_After I told him about your mind control, our older brother said that your reaction would be horrible to watch. It's not often that he speaks out loud, you know_." Mayu furrowed her brow. Could she have been referring to Itachi? "_So… he requested a favor of me—a message that you can't ignore. If you don't wish to remain in the dark, then you are to meet him in the place where he is to die_." Eyes expanding in shock, the kunoichi absolutely knew who the foreigner was talking about.

"_I thought you hated me. Why are you telling me this_?" Mayu questioned.

"_I don't hate you_." A wry smile appeared. "_Isn't it just jealousy_? _As much as I hate to admit it, you and I are alike, and our brother noticed that_. _But he obviously likes you better_. _Seeing him before he dies, this must be his favoritism_."

Mayu regarded Yasmine for a full minute in silence. Then she turned, heading towards the door. Her body felt numb. She couldn't even feel her own movement. Once she stepped through the door, she noted her uncle writing in a small notepad. Though, his image was a bit hazy. "Did you get everything you needed?" She had wanted to snap at him for guilt-tripping her, but her voice came out hollow and breathy. Vaguely aware that her uncle had responded to her, the kunoichi moved to leave the observation room, too. She didn't make it far, though. As the darkness grabbed a hold of her mind, she could hear her uncle fading voice until she could hear or feel no more.

0-0

I'm considering this a transition chapter. The beginning of the next arc will come soon... hopefully. :D Please review.


	33. Because I'm Selfish

Eyes snapping open, Mayu breathed in sharply through her nose. She then abruptly sat up and instantly regretted it. She knew where she was. The familiar bright room of the hospital wasn't something that she would forget anytime soon. Waiting for her eyes to adjust, the kunoichi rubbed the side of her head. There was a faint throbbing. However, the slight ache was quickly fading. _"Why am I in the hospital?"_ she thought. Then it came back to her. Her ancestor had warned her about it. Using her mind abilities should not be taken lightly. Mayu sighed lightly. Even if she hadn't wanted to use it, had that short amount of time really been her limit? She found herself not liking that. Another sigh escaped her lips as the door to the room slid open. The kunoichi shifted her eyes to visitor.

"It's about time you woke up." She stepped into the room with a sigh, and then closed the door behind her. "Do you know how much trouble I went through to make sure you were one of my patients? Completely troublesome." Mayu rolled her eyes and frowned. Her doctor—or nurse, or medic, whatever—walked forward, coming to a stop at the side of her bed, chart in hand.

"Watch it, Ino," Mayu warned. "You're beginning to sound a lot like your teammate." The blond kunoichi snorted, and then began to explain what had happened to her. Her uncle had brought her here in a state of panic because she had been bleeding from her nose. Fortunately, Ino had heard the commotion and had come before another could diagnose her with something horrible. Well, at least, that's what she had told her. Most likely, the situation hadn't been nearly as dramatic. If her uncle had been panicked, though, it served him right. Maybe next time he would think before guilt tripping her into doing something she clearly hadn't wanted to do. "Well, how long has it been?"

"Twenty-four hours, I think," Ino replied.

"I haven't eaten for an entire day?!"

"Trust you to be more concerned about your stomach than your mind," Ino muttered, narrowing her eyes. "So you were using it again? Your mind control." Mayu nodded her head. "Of course. There's nothing physically wrong with you in order to cause a nosebleed." Her light blue eyes scanned over the chart.

"Do you still get nosebleeds?"

Ino held the chart against her chest. She sighed. "Yes, but only if I use it for a longer time," she answered. "I've noticed that the effects of our shared ability aren't the same. It doesn't cause strain on the body or the mind. Is it the same with you?" Again, Mayu nodded her head. "I thought you didn't like using mind control, though. So why are you passing out from it? Even when I said it was okay to use it on me, you never liked it."

"Yeah, thanks for that, by the way. I know who you like now," Mayu said grinning. "Can I just say that I called it?"

"B-Be serious!" Ino exclaimed, though she couldn't fight the flushing of her cheeks. "What were you doing that made you use your mind control for so long?"

"Job interview."

"What?"

"_Ah_… Just forget about it, okay?" Mayu said, pulling the cover from her body. "Am I free to go?" Not waiting for an answer, the kunoichi stood up. Ino tried to press the subject, though. "Look, I'm hungry and a bit irritated. You know how I get when I'm hungry." Despite being a powerful kunoichi, Ino showed a grimace. "Later, okay? I will talk to you later. I might need your help after all." The blond stared at her, clearly confused. "Do you realize what the difference is between normal people and us? We appear unconscious, but our minds are still very much active. Twenty-four hours is a long time to just… to _just think_, isn't it?" She pressed her lips into a thin line. "Because of that, I know what I need to do." Mayu could feel her comrade's eyes on her as she headed for the door.

"Just… Just don't do anything reckless," Ino told her. "Thinking all by yourself for such a long period… isn't always the best thing."

"But it certainly sets things in motion, doesn't it?"

0-0

"_Oi_, Sasuke…!"

The Uchiha turned his head slightly. His loud teammate was running toward him with his arm extended in a wave. Sasuke stopped walking, allowing his blond friend to catch up. "Naruto," he greeted with a nod. Naruto grinned. He had on normal, everyday clothes, so Sasuke assumed that he didn't plan on training tonight. Come to think of it, Naruto didn't really train yesterday either. They had been sparring, but he had suddenly taken off after he had told Sasuke he had other stuff to do. It had been strange, but he figured that Naruto would eventually tell if it was serious.

"I thought that was you!" he exclaimed once he caught up. "Were you in the middle of something?" he asked.

"Not really. I was just heading back to make dinner," Sasuke answered. He held up the bag in his hand. He had to cook for himself at a young age, so despite Naruto thinking it was weird, cooking was typical. "What about you?"

"I'm going to Ichiraku's for dinner and to waste time before I meet up with Mayu." Noticing the raised brow, Naruto continued. "Yeah, we hung out with Sai today. Had lunch and even saw a movie!" The blond grinned wider. "I'm so glad that she's outta her funk."

"She was… in a funk?"

"_You_ didn't notice?"

"I did," Sasuke stated, narrowed his eyes. Naruto brought his hands up in a defensive way. "But Sai told me it was about that time again, so I didn't question her behavior. Should I have? What happened?"

"Don't worry! Don't worry! I cheered her up," Naruto reassured. "She's fine now." Sasuke didn't look completely convinced. "An-Anyway, me and Sai are supposed to meet her at her place in a few hours."

The look on his face only changed a bit to further show his irritation. Sasuke was rather displeased with this new information. There were many things he had felt left out of in the past. For example, the birthday parties of his classmates because they had believed he wouldn't come anyway, so why bother to invite him? Practicing outside of school with classmates because, well, he was an Uchiha—he hadn't needed to practice. The foolish thoughts of his classmates had made him feel left out plenty of times. That had all changed when Team 7 had formed. Despite the 'fuck off' aura he had development, Mayu—as Sakura—hadn't let it come between him and the team. She had practically forced him into everything. Since then, the feeling of being left out had been rare.

Now he was feeling it again. And because of Mayu, too. He didn't like it at all. It wasn't like Mayu to _not_ include him. Maybe she wasn't as cheered up as Naruto had thought. Maybe she was purposefully avoiding him. But why…? Had he done something? Either way, the frustration was still building within him. "Naruto," Sasuke began. "Let's go to your apartment. I need to let off some steam." The blonde's face contorted as if he smelled something foul. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Naruto hugged his own body as though it would comfort him.

"Ew, Sasuke! If I didn't know better, I would think that you wanted me all these years!" he exclaimed. An accusing finger was pointed. "Tell me the truth! Would you stick your hand down someone's pants and not care what's down there?!" The young Uchiha only stared at his teammate, almost not believing what he had just heard.

"You know what? I'm just going to ignore that. And to stop myself from killing you, I'm going to picture myself ramming my sword up your ass," Sasuke stated. Naruto went pale at his words. The dark-eyed shinobi sighed, realizing what his words implied. "That's not what the fuck I meant! Get your ass to your apartment!"

"What is with your crazy fascination with my _ass_, Sasuke?!" Naruto shouted, drawing the attention of many, as he took off down the street, still hugging his body. Eyebrow twitching, it took some time before he calmed himself. Sasuke ignored the looks he received because of his teammate's shout and walked ahead, towards Naruto's apartment. Sometimes, he truly wanted to torture the blond and leave him to rot. But he couldn't do that. Not only was the idiot his best friend, but a few important people were fond towards him. Walking away undamaged was impossible.

The Uchiha finally reached Naruto's home. The door was already open. Sasuke went in, closing the door behind him. Naruto's voice came from further inside, so he walked in that direction. Once he entered the kitchen, the blond looked his way. "Were you thinking of ways to kill me?" he questioned. Sasuke didn't reply, causing his teammate to chuckle nervously.

"Get changed. I want to spar," Sasuke said, stuffing his entire bag of groceries into Naruto's refrigerator. He closed his eyes, deep in thought. Mayu was… a bit unpredictable when it came to things like this.. Most of the time, he could read her so easily. It was almost like predicting her next move. But when it came to her feelings, he was as lost as a blind man in a fog. Mentally sighing, Sasuke ran a hand through his hair. Great, now he was even more worried than before. "Naruto…! Get a move on, will you? I don't have all day!" Maybe a fight would take his mind off her. The moment he reached home, maybe eat dinner, he would make a surprise visit to see what Mayu had wanted to tell Naruto and Sai without his presence being known. But for now, he needed to control his anxiety.

"Keep your shirt on! I'm going as fast as I _want_ to!"

0-0

Sasuke slowly walked toward his home. That little spar with Naruto had taken more time than he originally planned. He had thought it would take mere minutes to finish. It had actually an hour until he and Naruto were satisfied. Still, he had some time before his teammates had their little rendezvous without him. He had tried to get some information out of Naruto during their spar, but he hadn't known the reason. Lightly touching his chest, the shinobi grimaced. The blunt end of a stray kunai had gotten through his defenses. That part of his flesh would probably be tender for a few days.

He was so preoccupied with cursing the ground Naruto walked on that he almost didn't see his teammate leaning against the wall which surrounded his home. Sasuke halted, noticing the glare she was currently giving the ground. He was quite surprised to see her in that type of attire. She was currently wearing a purple, sleeveless, vest-like top. Instead of shorts, she wore a black _skirt_. If that wasn't unusual, then the blue eye shadow that was applied was a dead giveaway that something was amiss. And to top it all off, her hair, which was usually tied in a long braid or low ponytail, was now _combed_ and straightened. "Mayu…?" he called out to her just to make sure he wasn't imagining things. The teen rarely wore makeup. Heck, he could actually count the number of times she wore it on his hand, and even then it was probably against her will.

The kunoichi slowly lifted her head. She stared for a few moments before her face hardened into a glare. Sasuke felt a shiver run under his skin. Despite the look she was giving him, Mayu looked quite… tempting. He was suddenly reminded of how she behaved when she was under Haku's potion. The Uchiha mentally shook his head, ridding him of those thoughts. This was no time to be thinking of whether or not Mayu behaved like that even without the potion. Dominant Mayu was hot. "Sasuke…!" Speaking of which, the teenage ninja stomped over to him. Though, she was shorter, her face was inches away. "You're _sweaty_!"

"That much is obvious. I just finished sparring with Naruto."

"Are you telling me I was waiting this whole time while you were having fun _fighting_?!"

"Why were you waiting for me?"

"Because I wanted to spend some time with you, you jackass!" The kunoichi roughly rubbed at her temple. "But you're probably tired now, so whatever!" She turned, but Sasuke didn't let her get very far. He grabbed a hold of her wrist.

"Wait," he told her. "What happened to your face?" He hadn't seen it clearly before, but once she had gotten close to his face, he had seen the slight redness in her right cheek. She blinked twice before an enlightened look appeared.

"Oh, that's nothing, really. I spoke with Hinata-chan before coming here, so she could do my makeup, but… she didn't quite like that I made Naruto kiss her," Mayu explained. "She said she would rather have him kiss her of his own free will or not at all—so dramatic, that one. I feel like I had something to with it, though."

"That's probably because it's true."

"_Shut up_, Sasuke!" She snatched her wrist away from him. It appeared as though she was about to shout more words, but her eyes traveled lower. She eyed the bag and the smile came back. "Is that dinner?" Sasuke smirked, though Mayu didn't seem to care. "Well, it's only fair that since I waited for you, you make me dinner, don't you think?"

"You are _too_ easy," he told her.

"And you think _you're not_?" Mayu questioned, crossing her arms. She returned the smirk. "How cute." She stepped forward, halting so that they were side by side. "I'm looking forward to seeing just how easy you are." Sasuke swallowed hard and slid his tongue over his front teeth. The beat of his heart—should it be so loud? Since when did only her words have such an effect on him? "Come on—we haven't got all night!" she exclaimed moving forward again. The Uchiha lightly shook his head, and then followed after her. "And you better take a shower first."

"Yes, ma'am," Sasuke sarcastically replied.

After a quick bath, he found Mayu in the kitchen, rummaging through his refrigerator. "I was thinking curry," she announced, lifting her head up. "I haven't had that in awhile."

"Yeah, yeah…"

So for the next hour or so, the two teens cooked. Well, Sasuke did the cooking. Mayu mostly prepared the table and chattered. There wasn't really anything wrong with that, but he couldn't help but think of the last time she had chattered like this. She had believed that her teammates would come to resent her because she had shown them her abilities. She had chattered to distract them and herself. This realization made him think of what Naruto had told him before. Mayu had been in a bad mood before. Even after all this time, she thought she had needed hide things that made her upset. By now, she should have realized that line of thinking caused her teammates to become upset as well.

"… What is this?" Mayu's question snapped him out of his thoughts. Sasuke shifted his gaze from his meal to her perplexed expression. "This isn't curry, is it? It looks like ramen!"

"Its cold curry ramen," he replied. "It's too hot for normal curry with rice." After sliding a pair of chopsticks over to her, and taking the spoon away, Sasuke focused on his own meal again. After a beat, Mayu reluctantly thanked him for the food. Slowly, his eyes shifted to the right to see her reaction. She was sitting beside him. The kunoichi chewed slowly and even swallowed slowly. "If you don't like it-"

"Are you kidding?! I love this!" Mayu interrupted. "It's definitely curry, but it's… _ahhh_, refreshing! You're going to make a really good housewife one day!"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that."

Mayu only grinned, and then began eating again. Sasuke watched his teammate eat. She nearly squealed and wiggled in place. It was something she subconsciously did whenever a meal truly satisfied her. The Uchiha couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic. This was so familiar. Staying up all night, just talking was something they had used to do all the time. She had been the only girl that he had truly felt comfortable around. Maybe even the only person. Looking back, it wasn't surprising that she is the one he had fallen for. When she had been Hinata's dark counterpart, things had been simpler. Well, they had felt simpler. Now, things seemed more complicated than they should be. With her amnesia still affecting her, Sasuke was the only one to remember those times. Admittedly, he was worried that she would never remember those times.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Mayu's voice broke through his thoughts again.

"No, it's nothing."

"I think I know you well enough to know when you're lying."

"No you don't. How could you?"

He hadn't meant to say that out loud. But it was too late to take it back. She had heard him. She had been hurt. "It's… not-" Mayu interrupted herself by abruptly standing. She picked her empty dish and chopsticks—as expected, she had finished off her meal before he did—and then walked away towards the kitchen. Sasuke sighed heavily, running his right hand through his hair. His bitter thoughts had always tended to ruin the mood Mayu created. He ate the rest of his meal, grabbed his bowl, and then moved to follow Mayu to the kitchen. He found her, standing over the sink. The facet was running, but she hadn't been cleaning. Yeah, she was definitely upset. Sometimes he wondered what was worse. Angry Mayu or hurt Mayu. Sasuke stood beside her, but she did not acknowledge his presence. Well, that confirmed it. Hurt Mayu equals worse. If angered, at least she would confront him about it.

"Mayu," he began. His tongue slid over his front teeth before he continued. "I'm sorry." An apology wouldn't be enough. She had always been a logical type of person—one who _needed_ explanation. "Sometimes, I just get frustrated. You can't remember anything I do. You don't know what we've been through. I feel like I have to hold myself back because you don't know what I know. Our old memories-"

"What is _so great_ about living in the past?" Mayu questioned. She shut off the water and stormed off with a groan. "That is so like you!" Okay. She was quickly becoming angry. Sasuke was about to stop her, but she had sharply turned back around. "Has this been your problem the _entire_ time?! I knew it! I just knew there was something off about you! To think it would be something so incredibly _stupid_! You're frustrated because I can't remember our memories? What about me? I'm frustrated with the fact that you're so into those old memories that you can't let yourself create new memories with me! Is who I've been more important to you than who I am? I'm right here in front of you! Why do you care so much about the _fucking past_?!" This was about to turn into a one-sided screaming match. Sasuke sighed internally.

Before things could escalate further, he closed the distance between them, hands reaching up to cup her cheeks. Startled by his actions, the kunoichi instinctively took several steps back, but he merely followed until her back hit the wall. Her fingers lightly wrapped around his wrists. Most likely, she was forcing her body not to defend. It was just one of the many things he had come to like about her. "The past is what made me who I am. Our past is the reason I can live like this, not overwhelmed with the thought of retribution. You are one of the most significant features of my past because of what you have done. _That's_ why the past is so important to me." Mayu dipped her chin and stared down, appearing guilty. "You don't know what you did. You don't know how you changed me. I know it's not really your fault, but you not knowing what we've been through makes me feel… forgotten and abandoned, so yes, I get frustrated."

"Sasuke…" Mayu murmured. Fuck. He hadn't said all that so that she would start crying. "I didn't know you were so—I'm so sorry." She pulled his hands down, and then leaned forward. Their foreheads connected not too gently. Her eyes shut for a moment before opening again. Sasuke was both surprised and curious of her actions. She stared, letting her tears dry before continuing. "I'm sorry… but I don't need those memories to know that I affect you because you affect me, too. Since the beginning, I've _always_ been affected by you." She reared back, but did not release his hands. "I may be dense at times, but I'm not completely oblivious. So you tell me right now, who are you really? Who are you to me?"

Sasuke swallowed hard, not expecting that type of question. There had been so many times he had wanted to tell her the truth—tell her everything. But a part of him feared her rejection. At the age of thirteen, he had thrown away his pride and had confessed. She, however, did not feel the exact same. Bluntly, she had told him that she had been too young, but hadn't been against the idea of falling for him. Distance and time had separated them. Then there had been the loss of memories. Sasuke had believed that all that would contribute to Mayu not wanting a relationship of that nature with him, and so he hadn't told her the truth. She wanted it now—the truth. The young Uchiha slid his tongue over his front teeth. The kunoichi furrowed her brow and frowned. "You were my teammate. We connected through our mutual want of revenge. Then you became my friend," Sasuke began. "I saw you as a role model. Eventually, my admiration grew to something more. Try as I might, I couldn't control or stop how I felt towards you."

"So you do like me? In _that_ way?" Mayu inquired innocently. The Uchiha swallowed. The last time this happened wasn't nearly as nerve-wracking. Not trusting his words at the moment, Sasuke only nodded his head. She released his hands and let out a sigh. "Stupid bird brain… you should have just told me!" Her arms wrapped around him in a tight hug. This had felt so similar to the first time she had come to realize his feelings for her. She had been relieved to know that she hadn't lost him as a friend. Why had she been relieved this time? Slowly, Mayu let her arms fall. She moved back, brushing her cheek against his. Sasuke turned his head a bit, lips meeting hers. The kiss had been a surprise to the both of them. But he wasn't about to let the moment pass.

Moving her against the wall, Sasuke continued the kiss. Between his body and the wall, he could clearly feel Mayu. This is what he'd wanted for so long. To feel her warmth. To her have body pressed against his. To have her tongue dance around his—it was all _ecstasy_. Sasuke's arm surrounded her hips, hoisting her up against the wall. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around his waist. He shivered, feeling her fingers run through his hair. For so long, he had wanted to feel her like _this_. Not because of some half-baked plan someone had come up with, which had involved a love potion. Not because he hadn't been able to control himself. But because they mutually felt the same. His hands slid up and down her body, squeezing every so often. Mayu awarded his touches with whimpers and moans. Finally, their kiss ended, leaving them both panting.

They stared into each others' eyes, silently waiting for their breathing to even. When it did, Mayu's legs slip from around him, the left one first, and then the right. Her feet lightly touched down on the floor in front of him. Then, as if realizing something, the kunoichi gasped and dropped her arms as well. "Oh crap," she muttered. "This shouldn't have-" Sasuke interrupted by dipping his head and nipping at the side of her neck. He may or may not have had borrowed one of Kakashi's orange books to further the knowledge that the jounin had bestowed upon him. "_O-Oi_…!" Breathless, Mayu lightly gripped his shoulders. "Cut that out—_ahhh_!" Apparently, he had discovered a delicate part of skin just above her clavicle. Sasuke smirked. The open-mouth moan from her had sounded better than the closed-mouth version. He would definitely enjoy hearing it in the future. "Sas-Sasuke! Eno-Enough!"

"_No_…! Not yet," he told her, and then captured her lips again. His hand slipped up behind her head, forcing her to return the exhilarating kiss. Well, not really force as she didn't resist. He did not want this _rapture_ to end. And apparently neither did she. However, it came to an end when Mayu brought her arm up and whacked him upside the head. This strike startled and disoriented the Uchiha, causing him to pull back.

"I _said_ enough! I'm not your _drug_!" she yelled. With her cheeks darkened with a blush and her eyes glazed over, her shout hadn't seemed all that intimidating. Sasuke looked annoyed by her reaction. It was clear to him that she had wanted to continue. Ignoring him for a moment, Mayu placed a hand over her heart and tried to get her breathing tamed. Her eyes focused on the floor below before squeezing shut. She shook her head a few times. Then finally, when her breaths became steady again, she fixed her gaze back on him. Dark, onyx eyes reflected her blue ones. She licked her lips. "I won't say I'm not happy with this because I am," she began. Sasuke licked his lips, but that didn't stop the smug expression from surfacing. "But it shouldn't have happened."

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "Why shouldn't it have happened if we both wanted it?"

"Because I'm-" Mayu cut herself off and averted her stare elsewhere. "I have to go." She pushed his arms away from her body. Then she just walked away, out of the room, leaving a confused Uchiha in her wake. Sasuke stood there for a moment, trying to wrap his head around his teammate's bizarre actions. However, she stuck her head around the corner. "_Jeez_, Sasuke, I didn't say you had to stay here, too! Come on! I'm pretty sure we're late as it is!"

0-0

Expectedly, it was dark outside. Mayu walked briskly towards her home, not bothering with conversation with the shinobi at her side. She had asked her other teammates to go to her house. She wasn't sure the time, but most likely it was past time. Uchiha Sasuke had been an unforeseen distraction. Honestly, she hadn't expected herself to become so upset with him that the confrontation that followed would- The kunoichi shuddered, and not because of the cool breeze against her exposed skin. Mayu inaudibly sighed. Now she felt… a bit guilty for her actions. But it was too late to take it all back now. For a moment, her eyes shut. For now, she would enjoy it… up until that point. Mentally, she shook her head. Enjoy, enjoy the moment, she thought.

Her gaze slid over to Sasuke. He must have sense her eyes on him because stared at her out of the corner of his eye before turning his head. Mayu only smiled in response. He lifted a brow, but returned the smile with a tiny smile of his own. The kunoichi nudged his arm with her elbow. Sasuke returned that gesture as well. It was nice—this light atmosphere between them. "You know I do remember some stuff," Mayu stated. "You said we had a connection in that forest on that island. I faintly remember that. You told me about your retribution… and I told you about mine. But it was more than that, you know. In that moment, I realized that I made a difference in your life. That makes me happy."

"Then… that means I made a difference in your life, too," Sasuke said. Mayu blinked, bit her lower lip, and then broke into a grin. She nudged his arm again, but stayed closer to him. He reacted by intertwining his fingers with hers.

"Sasuke, you're definitely blushing right now."

"Shut up," he muttered, his grip tightened just a bit.

Mayu couldn't recall a time they had held hands before. As many times as Sasuke had touched her cheek, she hadn't felt such an intimacy from it. Maybe the reason behind that had been the fact that she had done that same gesture to others before. But this holding hands thing had been new. The touch was almost as exhilarating as the kisses had been. Finally, the two reached the foundation of her home. Mayu's nostrils flared as she enhanced her sense of smell. There. She had been late, after all. Coming from within her home, it was the definitely the scent of those two. But that wasn't all she sensed. Pursing her lips, the kunoichi broke away from Sasuke and dashed ahead.

She came to a halt in her kitchen to find Sai leaning against the counter, watching Naruto rummage through her refrigerator. "OI…!" Her shout caused the blond shinobi's head to bang against the top of the fridge. Sai shifted his attention to her, seemingly unaffected by her entrance. "What do you think you're doing?!" Naruto stumbled away from the large appliance, rubbing the top of his head. Wincing, he began to stammer while the pale shinobi by his side greeted her with a smile. "Naruto, I swear to on the very blood in my veins that if you ate my cheesecake, I will throttle you!"

"No, no! It was just the leftover tempura!" he exclaimed.

"WHAT?!"

"Queen," Sai stepped towards her. His dark eyes shifted to her left. "And Tori-suke." He looked back at her. "I have a feeling there is a special reason you have gathered us here. It is not often all of us are here at once." That was true. Usually, when all three of her boys were together for long periods of time, something would eventually break. Mayu nodded.

"Yes. Kakashi-sensei should be here soon as well," she stated. "Until then, make yourselves comfortable in the living room. I'll bring out some juice or something." None of her teammates moved. "What? Didn't you hear?"

"Is there… anything wrong?" Sai asked.

Mayu scoffed and rolled her eyes. "No," she answered. With a wave of her hand, she repeated the order. "Now go to the living room already! I have to salvage what's left in my fridge." Naruto shrugged, and then headed towards the designated room. Sai stared for a moment longer before leaving as well. Mayu turned to Sasuke. "You, too! Off you go!"

"Are you hiding something?" he asked.

"What's the fun in knowing all my secrets, sweet cheeks?" Mayu grinned again. "Just go already. I'll be out in a minute!" With one final look, the Uchiha crossed his arms, and then headed for her living room as well. She watched him go until his scent merely lingered beside her. Her gaze fell. Though it hadn't been a lie about there something being wrong, it did not stop her from feeling this way. The kunoichi sighed heavily, and then shook her head. She hadn't reached the bridge just yet. There was no use worrying about it at the moment. And so Mayu turned on her heel, putting the thought at the back of her mind for now. Kakashi most likely was going to be even later than she and Sasuke had been.

Mayu scratched her cheek, and then went about preparing the refreshments. Once she had everything gathered on a tray, she walked out of the kitchen and into entered the room where her teammates were waiting for her. They had acknowledged her, but had not spoken even as she had poured their drinks. Once she settled down, across from Naruto, the kunoichi calmly sipped her cherry-flavored beverage. The blond of her three boys did the same, although a bit more nosily than necessary. He was _nervous_—so cute. "So _uh_…" he began after clearing his throat. "What should we do while we wait for Kakashi-sensei to get here?"

"I know!" Mayu exclaimed with a wide grin. She set down her cup. "I've gotten really good at card tricks, so-" The looks on their faces had been their answers. "You don't have to look like you'd rather be pushed off a cliff!" She crossed her arms and let out an indignant huff. Then without preamble, her grin came back. "How about this? I'll ask you a series of questions and whoever gets the most points can ask me anything. Depending on what you ask me, I have to answer truthfully or do exactly as requested. Basically, you can have whatever you like~! Well, within the best of my abilities, of course."

"_Ah_ man! I hate pop quizzes!" Naruto protested.

"It'll be fun—I promise!"

"_Hrm_…"

"Okay, first question… Raise your hand if you know the answer," Mayu said. "There are twelve oranges on a table. You walk up and take three. How many have you got now?"

"I hate the maths!" Naruto complained at the same time Sai raised his hand. Ignoring the blond, Mayu focused on her pale teammate.

"The answer is nine," Sai replied.

"Nope!"

"But-"

"I said no!" Mayu emphasized, smirking. "Sasuke, you want to try?" The Uchiha shrugged his shoulders and muttered his answer. The kunoichi narrowed her eyes, not at all happy with his lack of enthusiasm. "That's correct," she flatly praised. Sai questioned why his answer had been accurate. "Yes, twelve minus three is nine, but I asked how many oranges you had. In your hand, there are only three, so yes, Sasuke was right."

"No more math questions! It wouldn't be fair!" Naruto said.

"Fine—next question. Let's say Naruto and Sasuke are battling it out on the borderline of the Wind and Fire countries. Naruto is heading for Sasuke with his Rasengan in hand. Meanwhile, Sasuke is doing the same with his Chidori. Sasuke is technically in the Wind country while Naruto is in the Fire country. They're both running towards the border for their collision. Now right before they clash, twenty ninja appear in between them, hoping to stop it. Half of the ninja are of the Leaf and the other half hails from the Sand. Naruto and Sasuke don't have time to stop, so their attacks hit." As Mayu had said all this quickly, she paused to catch her breath. "In the end, there is a large funeral held, but the question of location troubles those involved. Where are the survivors buried?"

"Oh! You bury the ninja from our village in the Fire country and the ninja from the Sand in the Wind country!" Naruto exclaimed. "One point for the sexy beast known as Naruto!"

"_Uh_… no," Mayu said, almost rolling her eyes.

"You only bury the dead," Sai spoke up. "Survivors would be rushed in for medical attention regardless of where they originate from."

"Nice job, Sai-chan!" The kunoichi clapped her hands. "Okay, so how many birthdays does a ninja have?" Two of her teammates furrowed their brow in confusion. Of course they would. There were few who knew such a fact. "There's only one answer, you know," Mayu stated, deciding to throw them a bone.

"_AH_!" Naruto pointed. "It's one! ONE, RIGHT?!"

"No need to shout," Mayu responded. "But yes. Ninja or not, you're only born once." She bit her lower lip, and then smiled. "Since you're all tied, one more question ought to do it. The final question is… Before chakra was discovered, what was the source of power for jutsu?"

"Is this another trick question, Queen?" Sai inquired.

"Maybe~!"

"Then perhaps jutsu did not fall into place until after chakra was discovered. Therefore the answer is jutsu was not used before the discovery of chakra."

"Nice try, but no. Sorry, Sai-chan, but you are no longer eligible to win." Mayu leaned forward, chin resting on her intertwined fingers. "Naruto, do you have an answer? You only have one shot. Only one shot! Only one shot! Bite down hard and go against them—one shot!" Her teammates stared at her. "_Uh_… sorry… sometimes that's what B.A.P does to me." She laughed nervously, scratching her cheek. "Anyway, Naruto, do you have an answer."

"Will power and determination…?" came the hesitant response.

"Ooh no, unfortunately, you're out of the game. If Sasuke can't answer correctly, then _no one_ wins!" Mayu said, and then laughed in a haughty manner.

"It's chakra," Sasuke said. Abruptly, the obnoxious laughter ended. Mayu stared incredulously in his direction. She hadn't thought he would get it. "Ninja used jutsu, but they didn't give the source of power a name, which is now called chakra. It's like when we learned how to walk up a tree. Naruto thought it was called catra."

"So did you!"

"No." He narrowed his eyes. "I didn't."

"You totally did!"

"Shut up!" Before it could turn into a heated argument, Mayu decided to intervene. Actually, arguing childishly like that had always been the trigger to their fights, which ultimately led to broken things. She had just bought this table to replace the last one. Like hell she was going to let them go at it again. The kunoichi cleared her throat loudly, causing the two to look her way. Hurriedly, she asked him what he wanted from her as his prize. "A kiss," Sasuke answered without any hesitation. Mayu had to stop herself from smirking. He had gotten quite bold, hadn't he?

"What?!" Naruto nearly… squealed? He held his flushing cheeks as his blue eyes darted from Sasuke to Mayu and then back again. "_Kiss_?!" The kunoichi lifted a brow and cocked her head to the side. Then she moved, crawling towards him.

"You always seem so tense whenever I show public displays of affection," Mayu stated, lips centimeters away from the side of his face.

"This isn't the public and it's just Naruto and Sai." Sasuke turned his head, meeting her gaze. "I want my prize _now_." Mayu almost scoffed.

"Which? A kiss from a precious friend or a kiss from a lover—which one?" She noticed the tension in his shoulders, but he relaxed again only a second later. The young Uchiha, with unwavering confidence, told her that he wanted both. The corner of his lips upturned. "You're _so_ greedy, Sasuke," Mayu told him, chuckling a bit. Still, her head tilted and eased in. Just when he couldn't wait anymore, and decided to take the kiss, she reared back. She did this several more times before he became fed up with her antics. "Oh, shut up." Before she could even brush her lips against his, a voice caused her to halt.

"Am I interrupting something?" the familiar voice had asked. Mayu turned her head towards the doorway to see her silver-haired sensei.

"Yes…!" Sasuke, and surprising Naruto and Sai, nearly snarled. Still, Kakashi was here, so it was time to start. Mayu stood up, greeting the jounin.

"It's about time!" she said, placing her hands on her hips. "Should I have threatened your book collection to get you here on time?"

"Not unless you want to be maimed," Kakashi rejoined nonchalantly as he walked into the room. He took Mayu's place at the table. "It's late, so… what is it that you wanted to speak to us about."

"Down to business then," Mayu nodded. She closed her eyes and sighed. Then she sat down. After a few moments, she began again. "To put it bluntly, I'm no longer a kunoichi." As expected, she received blank responses. "_Hm_… Perhaps I should be more specific… I've spoken to the Hokage already. I have been removed from active duty."

"_EHHHHH_?!" Naruto screamed. "TH-THAT—WHAT?! What does that even-" Sai clamped a hand over the blonde's mouth.

"Thank you, Sai," Mayu said. The pale shinobi nodded, although a bit somberly. She shrugged. "I'm not your teammate anymore."

"Have we done something to upset you, Queen?" Sai asked.

"Did your uncle put you up to this?" Sasuke demanded to know. Muffled nonsense escaped Naruto's covered mouth.

"Let her speak," Kakashi ordered. This caused her boys to come quiet. Sai even released his hold on Naruto's mouth.

"I'd say my decision was due to personal reasons like I did with Hokage-sama, but you don't deserve such vagueness. The truth is I have things to do that I can't do as a ninja—things related to my clan. I need time off to find what I'm looking for."

"You call that not being vague?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"It's not permanent," Mayu told them, ignoring the outburst. "I just won't be your teammate for about a month and a half. I figure that's enough time to gather the information I need. As heir, it's my obligation to have knowledge of everything when it comes to my clan. I'm sorry for my sudden decision, but in the end, my mind has already been made up." She dipped her chin. "I'm sorry—really, I am." The silence that followed made her uneasy, but she had said what needed to be said.

"Well…" Kakashi began, breaking the silence. "You seem pretty steadfast about this, Mayu. And since it's already been done, I suppose there is nothing we can say to you. Besides, it's only for a bit of time. We'll still see you-"

"Yeah… about that… I'll be leaving the village tomorrow."

"We won't be able to see you either?" Sai's question, however placid, felt like a knife to the heart. "In that time period, I won't be able to talk to you? Admittedly, I feel uncomfortable with this." And that was the knife twisting.

"Y-Yeah…!" Naruto chimed in. "It… won't be the same without you. Did you even think about how we would feel if you left like _this_?" Shit… The guilt in the room was just overflowing. Mayu sucked in a breath prepared to apologize again, but before she could utter a word, the person who had yet to speak on the matter finally spoke.

"Shut up," Sasuke demanded. He sounded a bit irritated. "We all know how she is. We all admire her for who she is." As he spoke, the Uchiha didn't look her way. His eyes remained on his fellow shinobi. "She has already reached a resolution. Although we may be a brother, a child, an uncle, and a… lover—we should already know that we can't even hope to lead her from her chosen path." Mayu couldn't be the only one staring at him, completely stunned by his reaction. But she didn't bother to check. She had believed that out of all the responses she would get, Sasuke's would have been the worse. However, not only had he defended her, but he had also accepted her decision as well. Mayu murmured his name, disbelief still lingering. His dark eyes shifted to her. "You did this for me before. You let me go back then, not realizing what my intentions were. So I'll do the same." She knew. She remembered that day clearly as the memories were still fresh in her mind. Sasuke had told her that her resolve to let him go had been more impactful than anything Sakura had said to him to make him stay. Then they had shared their first kiss.

"Thank you…" Mayu whispered, bowing her head. Hopefully, the feeling of being misty-eyed hadn't shown outwardly. "For understanding—thank you."

"I guess… I am overreacting," Naruto mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "A month and a half isn't that big of a deal. Sorry, Mayu."

"I still do not feel comfortable with this," Sai stated. "But… I suppose it is ultimately up to you."

"Concerning your clan—good luck," Kakashi said. Basically, their words had been encouraging, so Mayu took them as such. She nodded her head with a smile on her face.

"So…" Naruto started. He poked his two index fingers together. "Are you going to give Sasuke his _prize_ now?! I've been waiting for SasuMayu for like _ever_!"

"What?" the two in question spoke in sync. "The hell is SasuMayu?"

"It's a combination of your names," Sai supplied. "Naruto is the president of your fanclub. I am merely a member, though."

"Please tell me that's a joke!" Mayu exclaimed, feeling embarrassed.

"No. I believe Kakashi-sensei is the vice-president."

"Shut _up_, Sai!" Naruto shouted. "They weren't supposed to _know_!"

0-0


	34. Time To Move

With a deep sigh, he rubbed the back of his neck. This job had been a bit more complicated than others. It had been almost surprising that he had escaped with his life. But in the end, he had received the payment despite the way the situation had escalated. Apparently, the princess of that small village had only wanted a vacation. She had been the one to hire him in the first place to kidnap her. Against his better judgment, he had taken on the assignment because of the hefty amount of money that had been offered. The father, though, had not been pleased. Many guards had been sent to bring his daughter back. Perhaps, that had been his cue to stop involving himself with nobility and yakuza…

Anyway, it was done now. Some relaxation was in order; a good book, quiet, and his imagination were all he needed. But first, a drink. After all, the stressful job had ended less than two hours ago. He had only now found a village to rest. The closest bar had been his choice. A dark place, but it had sufficed for his one drink need. He would rather leave this place before some drunken fool began a bar fight. Things like that tended to happen this late into the night, after all. And so, with one last swig, he stood up, gaining the bartender's attention. He gave the woman a smile and she returned the gesture with a flirty wink. Despite himself, he felt the heat settle in his cheeks. Clearing his throat, he paid and nodded his head. He shouldn't feel too special. Most likely, she did that to every male customer.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Sharply he turned his head. Green eyes hastily looked around the small bar, trying to locate where the shout had come from. It sounded female and young. Pushing up his hat, he narrowed his green eyes at the farthest wall. There, a man literally had a young woman cornered. It was clear to him that the man's attention was unwanted. She appeared almost terrified despite her the volume of her voice. The man looked sinister in contrast, especially with such lecherous smirk on his face. If there was anything in the world that he had come to despise, it was without a doubt perverted tools. The very thought of people who couldn't keep their hands to themselves disgusted him. Without a second thought, he began to move in that direction.

The fact that no one had bothered to do the same or even look up had only further irritated him. He placed his left hand on the offender's left shoulder, breaking the glaring contest between the two. Swallowing hard, he spoke. "Excuse me… I'm pretty sure she told you to stop. You should listen." The burly man roughly shrugged his shoulder.

"And _I'm_ pretty sure it's none of your business. _You_ should leave."

Already not liking him as a person, his retort did nothing to stifle the urge to cause bodily harm. Deciding to skip the formalities, he flung the bigger man away, sending him crashing into a nearby table. He ignored the groan of pain in favor of focusing on the girl. "Are you alright?" She sighed heavily, and then stared up at him with a grin. There was relief in her deep brown eyes, but something else as well. Recognition…? It couldn't be. He hadn't seen this girl previously. Then again, there was something eerily familiar about her face. He just couldn't put his finger on it. Before he could question the girl further, the disgruntled man decided to further injure his pride.

"You son of a bitch…!" he shouted.

"Now then…" His green eyes focused on the clearly irritated man. "There's no need to insult my mother."

"Shut up!" Nearly roaring, the burly man took a menacing step forward.

"You shut up," the girl behind him almost hissed. Without warning, she moved, drilling her fist into the man's face. She then followed up with a knee to his gut. She finished by smashing the sole of her left foot against his throat. The man hadn't stood a chance. He collapsed like a bag of dropped potatoes, gasping desperately for air. It was obvious that the girl did not care. She turned her brown eyes to him again and crossed her arms. "That guy has been working my nerves since I got here!" She sighed heavily. "Now, down to business." Her grin widened. "It took a whole week to track you, Kazuhiro Zai."

"Wh-Who are you?" he questioned, confused.

"Who am I?" Her tone was playful. She closed her eyes. To his utter shock, the girl's pale skin shifted to brown. Her brown hair changed to black. "Ishikari Mayu," she answered as she opened her eyes again. "You remember me, don't you? We have quite a few things to do now that I've found you." Zai sighed heavily.

"And you couldn't greet me normally _because_…?"

"What's the fun in that?"

0-0

He already missed her.

It had only been a week since he and his team had watched her departing back. It had been one long week since Ishikari Mayu had left the village. Sasuke had known he would feel this way the moment she had delivered the news of her status as a mere civilian. And why wouldn't he? Already, he had felt this way twice before. The young Uchiha had thought he would be immune to separating from her by now. He supposed that had been the reason why Mayu believed that shouldn't have kissed. Was she missing him, too?

Sasuke let out a long sigh. Immediately, this had quelled the bickering of Sai and Sakura. They hadn't silenced themselves without reason. After all, they both knew he wasn't the type of person to merely threaten. Even with the unfortunate incident where he had delivered his wrath upon the both of them two days ago, they had still argued. Apparently, the two of them had made bad first impressions with each other, and it stuck. Unfortunately, the Hokage had made Sakura a temporary member of the team in the absence of Naruto, so arguments—one-sided arguments, if you asked him—were normal. Naruto… Mere hours after Mayu had left the village, the Hokage had broken the news that Jiraiya, Naruto's mentor, had died in battle. He hadn't taken it well at all. Sasuke hadn't seen his best friend so depressed before. Someone important had been lost. Naruto now knew the pain that came from losing someone precious. Eventually, he moved past the death—definitely not over it, though—and left the village in order to train in the same ways Jiraiya had done. Senjutsu is what they had called it. He had left the very next morning. With the parting of his girlfriend, and then his best friend, Sasuke had begun to feel a bit numb.

Perhaps the Hokage had somehow sensed it because without warning, she had placed Sakura on the team as a replacement. Since then, it felt as though his mind had been preoccupied with being the middle ground between two warring countries. It had been a week of this. Sakura cleared her throat, and then moved away from Sai to match Sasuke's pace. "_Ah_, Sasuke-kun, sorry for being loud again," she chuckled, and then smiled. "You're not tired after a simple mission like that, are you?" As she said, the team, minus Kakashi—the lucky bastard—had just finished a mission; one that involved escorting a wealthy daimyo back to his village. Utterly boring, it had been. Sakura took his silence as a negative, so she continued. "Since you're not tired, how about we catch a movie together? I heard about this new one with-"

At that point, Sasuke stopped listening. With a mental sigh, he tuned his pink-haired teammate out. She had been doing this she had been assigned to the team. After missions, without fail, she would suggest they do something—other than training—together without Sai. Why? He had no clue. Just like when they were younger, though she seemed a bit more immune to his flat 'no' responses. However, before he could give his routine answer, Sai decided to increase their speed so that he was walking on the other side. "Excuse me," he began, interrupting Sakura's description of the movie she wanted to see. He paid no mind to her scowl. "As I am learning about how… tact is always good, I am trying to convey that concept."

"You, tactful? Maybe when the sun ceases to exist," Sakura quipped. She crossed her arms, scowl still present on her face. Sasuke refrained from rolling his eyes.

"However," Sai went on as if he hadn't heard the retort. "I believe I have kept quiet for long enough. Ugly-" Immediately, the girl's eyebrow twitched and her lips formed a snarl. Sasuke mentally sighed again. This guy's way of addressing people was becoming dangerous, especially since Sasuke was the obstacle blocking Sakura's fist from reaching its target. "I am not sure of your intentions towards Toki-suke, but at the same time, I do not like it."

"What?" Blankly, her green eyes stared at the pale ninja.

"I believe that because I am a member of the SasuMayu fanclub, I do not like that you continually try to spend time with him alone," Sai continued. This again? Naruto and Kakashi were going to pay for making up such a ridiculous club. Despite himself, the corner of his lips upturned. Okay, so maybe he liked it a little. Sasuke would take that secret to his grave, though. "That privilege belongs to only one female, and that is his Queen."

"What?!" This time, her voice came out like a shriek. She stopped, causing the two of them to halt as well. They turned, facing her. With wide, stunned eyes, Sakura continued speaking. "Are you and Mayu… to-together?!" she sputtered. "When? How? _Why_?!"

"Yes. Just before she left. Tori-suke wanted a kiss as his prize for a game. Obviously because he has deeper feelings for Queen other than friendship." Had that been slight smugness in Sai's answers? Had he been eagerly waiting to state all this? He had seemed way too thrilled. Coming from him, that was a bit frightening. Gods, Sai had been hanging around Naruto for far too long. That damn club…

"Sai, shut up," Sasuke ordered. The pale ninja frowned, yet didn't speak again. His dark eyes shifted away from Sakura. There was still a glimmer of self-satisfaction, though. "What's it matter?"

"What? What's it _matter_?!" she repeated. "Th-This whole time… You were just making a fool of me, weren't you?!"

"In his defense, I am more socially competent than he is at this point," Sai spoke up again.

"Shut up, Sai." Was that an insult? It sounded like an insult. "I don't know what you're talking about, Sakura."

"Point."

"One more goddamn time, Sai."

"I'm talking about the way I've been…" She began to sputter again. This time, he could hardly understand her. Oh God—were those tears? Fuck…! Her green eyes focused on the ground. It took several deep breaths before she was ready to speak again. "I mean… I've… you know… been… I wanted to-"

"Just spit it out," Sasuke demanded, narrowing his eyes.

"I've been trying to get a _date_ with you!" Sakura shouted. Immediately, Sasuke had noticed eyes pointing in their general direction. Because of the shout, their curious gazes had turned judgmental. Fuck. The young Uchiha's eyebrows furrowed, shifting his stare back at his teammate. Her hands were clenched into fists and her gaze had become steely. He had seen _that_ look before. It was the same look she had shown him on that date Mayu had set up. Then it hit him. Sakura still had _feelings_ for him. _Fuck_. "I honestly thought I still had a chance, so I followed Mayu's advice and I was more determined. No matter how many times you rejected me for a date, I didn't give up because I just knew that I wasn't going to waste my chance this time! She didn't remember you—she didn't even like you, so I thought you would become impatient and give up… I thought I could show you that _I_ adore you. I thought I could show you how much _I_ care if you would just give me the chance. This whole time, I've been trying to get your attention, but you were only thinking of her. No matter how much I like you, you'd still-"

"Yes," Sasuke stressed. "No matter how much you or any other girl likes me, it will _always_ be Mayu." As if he had moved to strike her, Sakura had gasped and violently jerked her body back. "I didn't mean to make a fool of you, Sakura. As I've said before, you are someone I care about, but… if I had known that was your intention, I would have told you this sooner. Mayu is my girlfriend and she will be until I propose." Her mouth dropped open in shock. Hell, he was shocked himself. Sure he had told Mayu that he had wanted that when they had been younger, but… Well, maybe that had always been the plan. "Sakura, stop relying on me. You have already chosen your own path, so don't stop moving just because I've appeared in front of you again." She closed her mouth and swallowed hard. Tears now ran down her face. Sasuke clenched his teeth. "You deserve someone better than me. Don't settle for someone who clearly can't return those feelings."

"Sasuke-kun…" She frowned and lowered her head. More tears fell. Then, without another word, the medic-nin took off down the street. Sasuke watched her go with a grimace on his face. Something told him that he would be hearing about this sometime later. Hopefully, it wouldn't be from Ino. He really didn't want to deal with that blond kunoichi, whom _still_ hated his guts. He could hear it now. _He said what?! Hold on—let me grab my kunai! _The screech would echo throughout the village, and then the blonde's rampage would begin. It would be hell. Maybe he should leave now while he had the chance. It wasn't like this was the first time he had thought of leaving.

For a moment, Sasuke just stood there, almost awkwardly waiting for the spectators to go about their business. When they finally did, Sai decided to speak up again. Funny—he had forgotten about his presence. "This is good. She finally knows. Now I won't have to watch her fail to pursue," he remarked.

"Are you happy now?"

"I'm not unhappy." His cheek twitched, causing Sasuke to roll his eyes. He knew Sai enough to know that that gesture meant amusement. "This strange feeling I am experiencing… I wonder what it could be." The two shinobi began to walk again. Sai offered to hand the report over to the Hokage, but Sasuke turned it down. He had another thing he wanted to speak with the leader of the village about, anyway. At this, the paler of the two frowned. "Sasuke." Rarely did Sai call him by his birth name. When he did, it always meant that he had discovered something due to his observations. "I truly believe that only Queen has the ability to completely understand you. But even I… I can see you are in the process of distancing yourself. Are you leaving as well?" Sasuke halted in surprise. He turned his gaze to his oddly perceptive teammate. His silence had been answer enough. "First Mayu, and then Naruto… and now you."

"Sai. This has nothing to do with you. You know that."

"I know, but it doesn't stop the feeling from arising, does it?" he asked. Sasuke shifted uneasily. Is this how Mayu had felt when she had broken the news to them? Something was twisting painfully in his chest area. "When are you leaving?"

"Tonight, if possible."

"Were you going to tell me?"

"Of course I was. As soon as I knew when," Sasuke told him. "Before Mayu left, she gave the Hokage her final report on watching me. I'm sure that will be added leverage of her letting me leave." Sai's gaze lowered to the ground. The painful twisting increased. He had honestly felt like he had disappointed a child. "Look, there are just some things I have to take care of. Mayu and Naruto leaving just made me realize it. But this has been a long time coming."

"I see."

"Sai-" It completely took him by surprise when he had been nearly knocked over due to his teammate forceful—and surprising—hug. The young Uchiha blinked several times, wondering if the hug was actually taking place. Sai was not known for his initiation when it came to friendly physical contact. Sasuke froze, even as his teammate had increased his grip. Luckily, there seemed to be no one in the vicinity of the Hokage building at this time. Once the shock had worn off, Sasuke had half a mind to shove his teammate away. But… Honestly, what Sai could be feeling might be abandonment. He knew the feeling well, but there hadn't been anyone to comfort him. So against his body's natural defenses, Sasuke lifted his hand and rested it on Sai's hand. Only for a few seconds though. "It's not forever," he stated, dropping his arm again. "I might even be back before Naruto and Mayu." A pleasant lie.

"I see," he repeated. Finally, the pale ninja released him. Lowering his gaze, Sai let his arms fall limp at his sides. "Can I just say… being a part of this team, I imagine it's the same as being a part of a family." He grinned then. A genuine grin that Naruto and Mayu would have been proud of had they seen it. "I'm glad that I was sent to kill you."

"… I know what you meant, but find a better way of saying it," Sasuke told him. He looked confused. No matter how much he had improved, there would always be a part of him that would be awkward. "See you later, Sai." The Uchiha turned, intending to head in.

"See you later, Tori-suke… I suppose."

And he would always been oddly perceptive.

0-0

"I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts…"

She had been singing random songs for a while now. There was really nothing else to do. Locked away, alone, with her hands bound behind her back, was not the best circumstance to be in. Boredom came fast and left slowly. Only in her dreams could she escape the reality of her situation. Sixteen. In prison. For life. Okay, that was actually an exaggeration due to the solitary confinement. The maximum time she would be here would be two years, unless she was her on best behavior. Then, it'd be only one year. Actually, when it came down to it, they were pretty lenient if criminals weren't actually ninja or murderers. She wasn't quite sure what they did to the rapists and pedophiles, though… Ah, whatever—at least she didn't have to deal with them. She didn't have to deal with anyone other than her guards. Why the isolation? Because of who she was.

She was Yasmine Dalton. Not just any girl. Not just any criminal. She had been an idol. She had been the pet of Akatsuki. She had a dangerous alter ego. And even more dangerous was her ability to paralyze people by merely striking them. It wouldn't be fair—or safe—if she was allowed to mingle with other convicts, ninja or not. She would be in isolation for one or two years, and her sentence had only started a weak ago. If she wasn't already a bit crazy, then she would have been by now. A week of this, and she was already sick of it. However, she knew it would be this way. She had known for a long time.

Sighing heavily, Yasmine lowered her head. She had run out of songs to sing. Not to mention her voice was becoming hoarse. Yasume didn't make for a good conversationalist. Ignoring the aggressive protest from her alter ego, Yasmine studied her cage. No bars. No windows. No hope for escape. It was just her, the cement walls and floor, the artificial light which hung from the ceiling, the very uncomfortable cot, and the door—a door made of metal—which was the only way in or out. The future seemed as bleak as her state of confinement. Pretty soon, she would start to miss interacting with others. No, not just anyone. The people she had come to care about—they would be the ones she would miss interacting with. Her Akatsuki. Her family. Yasmine swallowed, pushing the feeling of nausea down. Flashes of all the members went through her head—the good, the bad, and the dead. Yes. Those would be the people she would miss. No matter how the world perceived them or her, they would always be first.

"Yasmine…" Immediately, the foreign girl looked around. She recognized that voice. She recognized it quite well. Out of all her family, he understood her the most. However, she could not see him. "**Up. Look up.**" The voice had changed somewhat, which only confirmed it. Obediently, she looked up. In the corner of the ceiling, staring down at her were yellow eyes. Breathing out a shaky breath, the foreign girl hastily stood up.

"Zetsu-sama…!" After the exclamation, she immediately scolded herself and focused on the door. No matter the time of day, there were always two guards posted outside her room. They might have heard her. However, the plant-like man assured her that with the effects of his _Mayfly_ technique, the room had been sealed. They wouldn't be able to hear. Yasmine nodded, and then lifted her gaze again. "What are you doing here, Zetsu-sama?"

"**Tying up loose ends…**" Her entire body tensed because of his ominous response. Of course… She should have expected something like this. 'Tying up loose ends' is what Zetsu was good at. Yasmine breathed out and nodded. This was her fate, and she was okay with it. After all, they had already given her a shirt with their autographs on it. She was… content. "What did you tell them?"

"Oh… What they wanted to hear, I guess," Yasmine answered.

"**Nothing else?**"

"No, they believe that I have told them everything I know. That girl with the mind control ability—I tricked her. When she was questioning me, Yasume and I continuously switched places. Nice, huh? I saw something like it on an episode of Yu-gi-oh."

"As long as everything is in order," Zetsu murmured. He tended to ignore her references, as did everyone. "With those false facts you gave, they will be led into a false sense of security, giving us the leverage we need. **And what of Uchiha Sasuke?**"

"What about him?"

"It is imperative that he leaves the village. You have guaranteed that, haven't you?"

"Of course. I observed them when I was here before. That girl, Mayu, will leave—if she hasn't already—and he will follow suite. Tobi-sama doesn't have anything to worry about concerning his target."

"**Good.** Good girl." Yasmine smiled and bowed, accepting the compliment. "Then… this is the last time we will speak, I suppose." Her eyebrows furrowed, showing her confusion. "Did you think I would help you get out of here? **Do not be a fool.** Reinforcements will not come—not even Deidara. You are on your own."

"I thought you said—well, you haven't come to kill me?"

"I was not ordered to. **Do you wish to become my meal?**"

"Tobi-sama didn't give the order… Why?" Yasmine ignored Zetsu. "Is he thinking of using me again? But I've already-"

**Hey! Just be thankful they're not trying to end your life!**

"I guess I shouldn't question it then," Yasmine muttered. "Thank you for visiting m-" She had looked up and had noticed the black and white man had already left. She pouted lightly, and then sank down to the floor. Frowning, breathed out through her nose. Sure, Yasume told her not to dwell on it, but it was pretty strange. After she had fulfilled her duty for the true leader of Akatsuki, she was sure he would have gotten rid of her. But no… She had been left to live out her sentence in prison. Well, he had always been an enigma, that guy.

Yasmine pressed her lips into a thin line. She should be grateful, but there was a part of her that didn't want to stay cooped in this place for two years. Death would be better than boredom in this type of situation. Maybe she should try sleeping again? When she woke up, it might be time for food. With that thought in mind, Yasmine crawled over to the cot and lied down on her left side. With her arms bound behind her back, it was a bit hard to sleep, but she managed. She forced a yawn, hoping that would speed of the process of going to sleep. "Back off, I'll take you on… Headstrong to take on anyone! I know that you are wrong and this is not where you belong~!" Before she could sing herself to sleep—again—the sound of metal sliding caught her attention. Yasmine turned her head right towards the door. Someone peaked in through the small area of the door that had acted as a window. However, she didn't recognize those greenish black eyes. Before she could examine them further, the slot snapped shut again.

Seconds later, the metal door opened, equipped with the obnoxious creaking noise. The only time that door opened was for food and restroom breaks. Yasmine may have lost track of time, but she was sure this wasn't part of her new routine. The foreign girl sat up, feet touching the floor. She patiently waited for… whatever. Stumbling in was a tall man with long messy hair, looking as though he hadn't shaved in months… maybe years. Those greenish black eyes belonged to him. "Y-You…" The man's focus shifted to and from her several times. "Brat… My brat…"

Lips parting, the shock fell upon her. This man wasn't just any man. He had been the world to her at a certain point. He had been her caretaker. Her guardian. Her… "Mommy…" Yasmine whispered. She had seen him before, in this state, but up close like this—it made her heart ache and her throat constrict. He had changed. But so had she. "Why are you here?" He ignored her question and stepped further into her cage. "What are you _doing_ here?!" The sudden shout startled him so much that he stopped moving completely. His gaze shifted several times again as though struggling to find an answer.

"I told him," a new—famililar—voice broke the tense atmosphere. Upon realizing whom had spoken, though, the room became more uncomfortable. Slowly, hazel eyes left her former caretaker and landed on the pale eyes of Hyuga Neji. "Sawatari Jano. He had no idea of your identity. Only yesterday did I, myself, come to understand you were here."

"Do you want a medal?" Yasmine retorted. She stood up, glaring. "I don't want to see him-" She ignored the choked gasp that had come from the man. "-Or you."

"You don't have a choice—not this time," Neji stated, not batting an eyelash. "We are going to talk, and you are going to listen."

"Get out," she almost hissed.

"No! I won't be turned away this time."

"Yasmine…" Jano finally spoke again. The foreigner sharply turned her fierce gaze on him. He flinched and took two steps back. This was definitely not the man she had known. Everything about him was different—too different. She did not want to know this person. He tried to speak again, holding out his hand towards her.

"Don't touch me! I don't know you!" Like a feral animal, she snapped at him. He reared back in surprise. "In fact, I don't want to know you! I want _nothing_ to do with a drunken, smelly, uncultured fool! Get out of my face!" Her words were enough to send the once great man from the room, looking as though he would breakdown if he stayed longer.

"Was _that_ necessary?" Neji asked. Yasmine didn't answer. She roughly sat down, hunched over, and squeezed her eyes shut. Through clenched teeth, she began chanting the mantra that had stayed with her through the years. _Never let them see you sweat… Never let them see you sweat… Never let them see you sweat…!_ Her knee bobbed up and down. Desperately, she tried to stop the memories, but seeing her former caretaker like that reminded her so much of her uncle. "Yasmine… what's wrong?" Neji must have been confused by her actions. He sat down beside her. She could feel his hesitance. "Why are you acting as though you're afraid?"

Gradually, she calmed down. Yasmine lifted her torso, sitting straight. Her eyes remained shut. "Don't bring him here again. I can't… I can't see him like that," she nearly stuttered. For a long time, Neji didn't respond. He just sat there, listening to her shaky breaths return to normal. "Why… Why are you here?" Suddenly feeling exhausted, Yasmine let out a slow sigh. "Do you want forgiveness? Fine, you have it. You were a kid. I understand why you lashed out at me now. Hizashi-sama-" She paused for a moment. "He was your world and you lost that. I, on the other hand, still had my world, and so you lashed out at me. I get that. I get it, okay? I forgive you for what you said. What more do you want from me?"

"… I was not looking for forgiveness," Neji told her. "Redemption is what I seek. I hurt you, and you became this way because of that. I can't forgive _myself_ for this—for what you've become." He moved, sliding his hand down her back and resting on the rope that tied her wrists together. "Is this uncomfortable?"

"Neji-san… What you're trying to do is impossible. We can't go back. We've both changed due to pain and mistakes. We can't go back to how we were, so don't waste your time, trying to salvage the past." She sensed his frown. Her body tensed as she felt the rope fall away. For the first time in a week, her body completely relaxed. She rolled her shoulders, thankful that she could.

"I am not suggesting we go back," Neji said. Finally, she looked his way. His eyes stared back at her, impassive as always, but in his eyes… There was so much _fortitude_ there. It scared her. There were so many things wrong—no, different about this place. "I agree that we can't go back. However, that does not mean we cannot start again." The Hyuga took a hold of her left hand and upturned it. He placed a small item in the palm of her hand before revealing the object. What she saw caused the sharp intake of breath through her nose. It was the glass bird she had wanted to give to Neji all those years ago right before they had separated. Actually, she had forgotten about the small gift's existence, so how had he gotten his hands on it? Yasmine shifted her gaze back to him. "You… remind me of chocolate."

"Chocolate…?! Wh-"

"Yes." No matter how small, the smile still appeared. "I've never seen so many shades of chocolate before, not on a person." Then it dawned on her what Neji was doing. Their first conversation had gone a bit like this.

"Well, your eyes are weird looking," Yasmine retorted. Relief showed in his eyes and body language. The foreign girl fingered the small glass bird in her palm. At some point, the bird had split down the middle. Someone had glued it back together. "Why are you doing this? Guilt?"

"Perhaps," he answered. Neji stood up and moved away from her cot. Continuing, he turned to face her. "Over the years, my eyes have gotten better. Even I can tell… You may not want it, but friendship is something you need. The same as me." Yasmine frowned and lowered her stare to the floor. "I will continue to visit you. I'm sure Jano-san will come around as well."

"You're a fool," Yasmine mumbled. "You're both fools."

"Perhaps," Neji repeated. "But I find myself not caring as much as I should."

0-0

Next time...! Sasuke and Mayu reunite with new info and new allies! What? You didn't honestly think I'd keep them separate for so long, did you?


	35. Partners In-

It had been nearly a month since he had last seen her. Admittedly, he hadn't expected such a change within her. He had noticed it right away of course. Something had been lost in the time period that they had been separated. When asked, she had only given a vague answer, which had only heightened his worry. Obviously, the girl had been hiding something. He supposed that it had nothing to do with him. Whatever she had learned, whatever she had experienced, had been her own personal business. Still, he had known her for quite some time. Hadn't it been natural to fret over this change? After all, the light had left her eyes. No longer had they held the naivety of her age. It had been replaced with sharpness, stress, even anger. She had the eyes of someone much older. It had been unnatural. He wished he had been there with her. However, the girl had informed him that she had needed him elsewhere. And so he had left her, alone, in that valley. Perhaps it had been a mistake.

However, as it were, it wouldn't be good to dwell on the past. Currently, they traveled west, in search of a target. Whilst she had been… doing something, he had been tracking. Her orders had been elusive, yet crystal. _When we meet up again, I want you to take me to the wandering Uchiha and his sharp-tooth partner with the large sword_, she had stated. That had been his only form of information in regards to tracking the two down. But, in the end, he had managed to find them, just as he had found the valley in which he had left the girl. Hadn't been too hard. There weren't many Uchiha men with sharp-tooth partners in this world. He had questioned her intentions towards wanting to meet those two. Again she had been vague, stating only that she would like a confirmation. This girl would always be an enigma to him.

"How much further?" she asked.

"Patience, Mayu," he returned, flipping a page of his book. "We'll reach them soon. My sources are never wrong. The people you seek are close." She released a heavy sigh through her nose. The man glanced her way out of the corner of his eye. It hadn't been a sigh of frustration. It had been more of a sigh of resignation maybe even a bit sad. Just who was this man she sought out? What type of relationship did they have? When Kazuhiro Zai had first met the girl, she had been—in her own words—a stranger in a strange land. In the time they had spent together, she had not once mentioned any sort of relationship with anyone in this world. Perhaps she had wanted to, but there had always been hesitance. _"Then a__gain, maybe I'm being too hypocritical,"_ he thought. He hadn't exactly been eager to mention his past either. When it came down to it, Ishikari Mayu and himself were mere allies—nothing more.

Suddenly, the girl stopped, which also caused Zai to halt. He blinked, furrowing his brow. He snapped his book close. He heard it, an unnatural sound in the middle of a forest. No sound at all. The forest's creatures had abandoned their songs. The feeling came in a rush and pumped adrenaline into his veins. It could mean only one thing—an attack. Zai hurriedly thrust his book in Mayu's direction, which had caused the girl to stumble back. Just in time, too. A very large sword had embedded into the ground where she had been standing. The girl had moved back, increasing the distance between herself and the attacker until she had completely disappeared from sight. It hadn't been the first time he had completely lost track of her, so Zai hadn't been surprised when her presence completely disappeared amongst the trees. He, instead, focused on the enemy. His dark green eyes narrowed as they shifted to the hilt of the blade. As the dirt cloud dissipated, he noticed the pale hands that gripped the handle. Those hands belonged to a young male with platinum white hair, deep violet eyes, and a sharp-toothed grin. Zai had half a mind to scoff. So the hunted had become the hunter, then?

"Who are you?" he questioned. The boy pulled his weapon from the ground, still grinning. Though he had asked, Zai knew. Well, he didn't know his name or background, but he knew the boy as a target.

"Shouldn't I be asking that question?" The blade was pointed in the older male's direction. "Well, it doesn't really matter at this point. Just this once, I'm sure he'll forgive me if I take care of you before he gets here."

"Your partner?" Zai muttered. "That Uchiha?"

"You won't be alive long enough to use that confirmation!"

Before the boy could make another move, Mayu had appeared behind him. She wrapped her fingers around his throat and squeezed. Her other hand had clutched his left shoulder. The boy hadn't noticed at all. Hell, he, himself had barely noticed her presence. Zai mentally sighed, glad that he wouldn't have to end such a young person's life. To his utter surprise, the girl had tilted her head and pressed her nose firmly between the boy's neck and shoulder. She inhaled deeply as she closed her eyes. Her actions had stunned the boy paralyzed. His cheeks had taken on a pink hue. His shoulders were tense, but they trembled a bit as well. Zai shifted his gaze several times to and from the scene in front of him, honestly not knowing what to do.

Mayu finally lifted her head again. "You," she whispered, lips mere centimeters away from his ear. A part of Zai wanted to cover his eyes. "You smell a bit like Uchiha Sasuke. Why?" The man blinked. That had been an odd question. This was one of the people she had been looking for, right? The sharp-toothed one with the large sword. This boy was his partner. When he voiced his concerns, the girl stared at him for a moment. The atmosphere, silent and tense, dragged on for what seemed like hours. Then she spoke again. "I apologize for giving such a bad description. I didn't realize there was more than one wandering Uchiha out here. You were tracking the wrong duo for me." She again focused her gaze on the boy she held captured. "But I'm suddenly curious. Why is Uchiha Sasuke outside the village right now? And who are you to him?"

"I'm not telling you shit," the boy finally found his voice again. He looked back at his captor. Though he looked defiant, Zai could see sweat slide down his right side of his face. Mayu glared and increased her hold on his throat. More sweat trickled down the boy's face. Wait… That was _too much_ sweat at one time. It wasn't sweat at all. It was _water_. The boy's body suddenly turned into water and he literally slip out of Mayu's hold, taking the sword along with him. As he reformed, away from the girl, the grin came back to his face. "I'm going to—_hey_!" Before he could finish his sentence, the girl suddenly took off running. "Come back!" The boy went after her. Zai blinked, pursing his lips. Had he been forgotten?

Well, he was more than a little curious about this situation, so he might as well follow. Mayu had not recognized the boy who had attacked them, and yet she did recognize the Uchiha he had made a mistake in tracking. But that also meant she still knew that other Uchiha—the one responsible for the end of the elite clan. How did Mayu come to know a dangerous traitor like that? If he had known that man was the one she intended to meet, he _might _have misled her on purpose. No matter what the purpose, getting involved with such a guy was not a good idea. They might have been only allies, but that didn't stop Zai from caring. Did he have to worry about this Uchiha, too? According to the rumors, he had jumped ship, too, only to return a few years later. But now he was outside of the Leaf once more? This didn't bode well.

However, all negative thoughts of the younger Uchiha came to a screeching halt as did Zai's body when he came across another embarrassing—for him—scene. The large blade-wielding boy was rigid as well, gawking. There was another person—a girl, looking to be around the same age group as Mayu. Skin as pale as the clouds in the sky contrasted against her bright red hair and eyes. Half of her hair was wild and unkempt whilst the other side was long and straight. A pair of glasses rested on the bridge of her nose. She appeared flustered by what she was witnessing as well. Did the duo gain a new member since the last time his sources reported back to him? No, no. That's not what mattered right now. Mayu had the younger Uchiha trapped beneath her, legs pressed firmly against the side of the boy's torso. Fingers intertwined with his, their arms stretched above them. Their eyes locked, seemingly ignoring the world around them. Honestly, Zai thought he might choke if he got too close to their world. _"Such intensity…"_ he thought. The man blinked, and then licked his dry lips as he continued to stare. These two had a bond one couldn't find in any romance novel. That made him a bit jealous.

In one moment, he had been following Suigetsu's tracks to find out where he had suddenly run off to—Karin had refused to use her senses to locate him—and then the next moment, he had his breath taken. She had taken him completely by surprise, as she tended to do. Not only had she appeared out nowhere, but she had also tackled him to the ground. It was so much like her, and yet… Something about those blue eyes had changed. "Mayu," Sasuke breathed. He hadn't expected them to cross paths. At the back of his mind, he had hoped for it, but he hadn't expected it to actually become reality. The corners of her lips tugged upward. Suddenly, the weeks that had passed since he had seen her had become irrelevant. She was right here. Right now. Her fingers slowly uncurled from his hands and she settled her bottom on top of him, allowing him to sit up as well. Her hand reached up to cupped his right cheek. He leaned into the warmth of her hand and shut his eyes. "You're here," he stated. "You-"

"What the _fuck is going on here_?!"

Having completely forgot about his surroundings, the loud voice of his companion had snapped him out of the trance of seeing Mayu again. Sasuke's eyes snapped open. He sent a withering glare over Mayu's shoulder. That's when he noticed the unfamiliar man standing by Suigetsu's side. Well, now that he had seen this new person, he did want to know exactly what's going on. He imagined that Mayu would also like to know. The last time she had seen him, he had been in the village with no thoughts of leaving. Now, they had reunited outside the village. Surely, she must have questions. Mayu nodded, and then removed herself from his person. "Actually, I was wondering that myself," she stated. Sasuke stood up as well. "You've got a lot of explaining to do." Her tone hadn't been harsh and neither had her smile. She was genuinely curious. Where should he start? "You can start with telling me who they are," she said as though she had read his mind.

"Suigetsu and Karin," Sasuke answered. "They are two-thirds of the team that I need." She didn't seem all that surprised with his intentions. "Your turn." Mayu took a glance behind her, and then focused back on him.

"He is Kazuhiro Zai. When I arrived here, he took care of me and taught me a lot," she replied. "He is my friend and he is helping me track down a certain someone."

"So our groups have the same purpose."

"So it would seem."

"Then… traveling together wouldn't be such a bad idea."

"Are you coming on to me?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Maybe I would."

"Then maybe I will."

"Are… Are they _flirting_ right now?" He was confused. Suigetsu was very confused. He had never seen such a thing take place. He had only known Sasuke for a few weeks—maybe a month—but he did _not_ seem like the type to do such an activity. For his question, he was ignored. The two continue to go back and forth like that. Just who was she to Sasuke? Then Suigetsu spared Karin a look. She looked even more pissed than he had thought she would look now that another woman had appeared in front of Sasuke. Then he realized, with glee, that he had found a new way to entertain himself. He stepped forward, interrupting the suggestive banter. "Oi, oi…! Don't just leave us out of the loop, Sasuke," he drawled. "Who is she?" It was the girl that answered.

"My name is Ishikari Mayu," she stated. "It's a pleasure I don't have to kill you for attacking me." Suigetsu blinked. She was… quite the bold one. Then he grinned.

"I'd like to see you try."

"No you don't," Sasuke retorted. "Because it wouldn't be an attempt." He was even defending her? Suigetsu blinked again, and then completely focused on the girl. Just what type of woman was she to affect him so much? "We're continuing with them since we're after the same person," Sasuke announced.

"Unless of course, you have something else to do," Mayu said, walking over to her companion. "I know I've taken up much of your time already."

"N-No, it's fine. We're… friends, after all. I don't have to meet another client for another two days, so..."

"Then it's settled. We'll head north and recruit the last member," Sasuke stated.

0-0

Mayu felt hostile eyes on her person again. It was quickly becoming an annoyance. Those eyes belonged to the red-haired girl, whom was walking behind her. Karin, was it? Still, she didn't have the patience to be worrying about the girl's intentions. There were much more pressing concerns. Her eyes slid over in Sasuke's direction. Maybe it had been a hasty decision to travel with him. Admittedly, she had missed him, which caused the impulsive decision in the first place. Really, it would have been better to find her target first. It was too late now, though. But maybe she could... No. Both the Uchiha brothers were steadfast with their paths. Their fates were sealed already. There was nothing she could do to change that... not now.

The one known as Suigetsu suddenly released a heavy sigh, drawing in the attention of everyone. He plopped down where he stood and sighed again. "Don't you people ever get tired?" he asked. "Can't we take a break?"

"We just took one like... fifteen minutes ago," Mayu pointed out. Suigetsu only pouted. It was almost adorable. Then Karin began shouting at him. She tended to do that. A lot. In her ranting, Mayu learned that the group had almost reached the destination. The Northern Hideout. Her blue eyes narrowed, shifting her attention away from the bantering duo in favor of looking ahead. Sure enough, there was a building structure, seemingly a lookout. Something was strange, though. If it was a lookout, then why wasn't there any alarms going off? Surely, someone should have noticed their presence by now. It was hard to believe that Orochimaru had slackers running the place. Now that she thought about it, it was too quiet. Mayu bit her lower lip, concentrating. Her nose twitched as her sense of smell became enhanced. "Blood," she announced, effectively halting the squabbling of Karin and Suigetsu. "There's so much blood, belonging to many people." The scent almost overpowered others. So it wasn't too surprising that it was Suigetsu that pointed out a presence coming towards them.

A man, visibly hurt, staggered towards the group. His injuries were grave. It was a wonder how he managed to drag his body like that. Then he collasped before actually reaching them. Karin dashed forward and knelt by his side. Mayu could see that the red-haired girl's shirt was quite similar to the man's shirt. Was it some type of uniform? Suigetsu had mentioned that Karin had been Orochimaru's underling. Sasuke stepped forward, asking what had happened. The man struggled to speak. Apparently news had spread that Orochimaru had been killed. Because of that, the prisoners of this hideout went on a rampage. He would have said more if he hadn't died. Mayu furrowed her brow, watching Karin stand up. If the prisoners had gone on a rampage, then why did he stay? He must have been able to run away before things got out of hand. Most likely, it was due to loyalty for Orochimaru. The Sanin could have so many followers based solely on fear... right?

A sudden crash alerted the group to another presence. Once the dirt cloud disappated, a humonoid form had been revealed. It wasn't until Karin had exclaimed that it finally clicked. She was staring at a person with a curse-seal. To be honest, she had believed that only a select few had it. The Sound Five-including the hot bone guy-and Sasuke. Mayu glanced in his direction, only to discover that he wasn't there. A pained grunt redirected her attention. The person fell to the ground, curse mark receding. Sasuke stood a few feet beyond the body, sliding his sword back in place. "The Northern Hideout is over there," he stated. "Let's go get Juugo." He walked away, not waiting for the others to follow. Mayu could only blink at his departing back. There had been a time where she had been frightened of the cursed seal ability. Thinking back, she had honestly thought she wouldn't be able to fight someone with the seal on equal terms. But Sasuke had just taken on a cursed seal without breaking stride. Since it was him, it was no wonder. Sasuke had impressive skill. But she did wonder how she measured up to him. Did she have what it took to take on a person at stage two of the cursed seal?

Well, she supposed she was going to find out. Karin had informed the group that this particular hideout had been known for its experimentations. The prisoners were test subjects. And the target was the origin of these experiments, according to Karin. She wondered what this Juugo person was like. Suigetsu made it obvious that he didn't particularly like the guy. Karin... was mostly indifferent, but there was an underlying fear. Had Sasuke ever met the person responsible for his cursed seal? If he had, he wasn't giving away how he felt about the target, other than that he needed him.

"He didn't kill him," Zai observed as Karin she ran after Sasuke. "That boy is quite dangerous. Are you two really teammates?"

"Yes, of course. After all, he's just one member of Team Badass," Mayu said. She found herself grinning at the thought of Naruto and Sai. Then she frowned. After all this was over, she would still want to see them. But...

"_You're_ a part of," Suigetsu scoffed. "This team of badasses?" He sounded incredulous. Mayu scowled in his direction. He didn't noticed because he had been walking when he had said all this. She was getting tired of his comments about her ability. It was only a matter of time before she showed him exactly what she was capable of. And at this point, she didn't care about the reactions or the consequences. The young Ishikari narrowed her eyes at the ground. Why _should_ she?

"Mayu...!" Zai broke into her train of thought. "Is this really alright? Can we trust this group?" Inquiring blue eyes shifted in his direction. "I may not have personally known Orochimaru, but it's pretty much known he wasn't exactly a great guy. And his subordinates aren't known for their kindness either. That girl, Karin, willingly followed him. Although the boy, Suigetsu, was experimented on, he definitely gives the impression that he enjoys killing and the only thing that's stopping him from doing so is Uchiha Sasuke's order. Speaking of which, we're now headed deep inside one of Orochimaru's lairs in such of an unstable person. We don't know what this Juugo character is capable of. All I'm saying is that you should be wary about this group, but you don't seem worried at all."

"That's because I trust my teammate," Mayu stated. "Sasuke's comrades are my comrades. That's how it is. These people may have questionable pasts, but I... don't care. They won't stop me from reaching my goal. _No one_ will." Zai frowned, clearly not liking the answer he had been given. "Besides," she continued, intending to ease his mind. "What type of person would I be if I didn't trust my boyfriend?" Almost immediately, his face turned red. Got him. Zai was a hardcore romantic, practically worshipped romance novels. To get a confirmation that his traveling companion was in that type of relationship must have made him gleeful.

"You... Y-You're together?" he sputtered. "You and Uchiha Sasuke?" Mayu nodded her head once. "You don't... act like it."

"Sasuke doesn't like public displays of affection unless we're around those he's completely comfortable with. So I'm trying not to make our relationship an obvious thing... unless I need to, of course. Not to worry, either he'll become comfortable around his group of misfits or I'll get impatient and force my affections upon him regardless of who's present."

"I'm not worried about that!" Zai protested.

"Then why do you have such a ridiculous smile on your face?"

"..."

"... Yeah, I thought so," Mayu retorted smugly. Zai cleared his throat loudly before abruptly, and stiffly, walking away. A cheeky grin appeared as she watched his form move further and further away. No doubt he would be the newest member of the SasuMayu fanclub. Oh, how Naruto would be proud. Mayu shook her head, ridding herself of thoughts of the blond. Wait... Actually, Sasuke didn't explain how he managed to leave the village. Surely Naruto would have put up an even bigger fight if he had known. She would find out later. What mattered now was locating Juugo. Admittedly, she was curious about him. More than curious. Karin had said he was similar to a drug addict. He couldn't control himself, and so he went berserk quite often. When he wasn't in such a state, he was calm and even kind. He was a person that didn't like to fight or kill. Maybe he had a split personality like Yasmine.

With that thought in mind, Mayu hurriedly moved in the direction that the others had gone in. It wasn't long before she reached the entrance. There were bodies all around, all of them still breathing. The strikes that had been made were bad but not enough to cause death. Zai was still observing in slight amazement. Upon noticing her, the man nodded his head, and then waited for her to catch up. They both entered at the same time. There were more bodies. However, as they moved further into the hideout, the number of bodies they saw had dwindled until there were no more. The trail of bodies had ended, and so Mayu focused on Sasuke's scent.

"Odd," she muttered. Zai made a noise of inquiry. "Sasuke and Karin are separated from Suigetsu." She pointed to the right. "He's gone down there, while they went the other way." Her eyes narrowed a bit as she looked to the left. "Can you go see why?" The man nodded his head. He told her to be careful, and then went on his way. It was odd. There was no reason for Suigetsu to go off on his own. Karin was the sensor of the group. Only she knew where Juugo was at this point in time. If she knew his scent, then Mayu would know, too. But only after she _knew_ the scent. Until then, she had to focus on Sasuke's to get to Juugo's.

Quite suddenly, a slight rumble startled the young Ishikari from her thoughts. The shout of Sasuke's name followed soon after. That didn't sound good. Mayu broke into a run towards the noise and the scents. She sharply turned around a corner only to be blasted in the face by a haze of smoke. Eyes watering, she tried to make out something beyond the smoke. It was no use. She couldn't see a thing. The smoke, however, hadn't been produced by fire. It smelled similar to concrete. Had a fight broken out? Shit... Mayu waited until the smoke cleared before opening her eyes again. Just a few meters ahead, she saw Karin. The red-haired girl's focus, though, lied solely on the massive form of a partially transformed person. He was tall and muscular. Holy hell... Was this him? Was this Juugo? He had a pretty intimidating presence, made worse by the harsh laughter. His wild spiky orange hair only added it it as well. This must be his berserker form.

He jumped back a bit, away from the crater that he most likely caused with that transformed left arm of his. Out of the crater, partially transformed as well, came Uchiha Sasuke. He had an extra appendage, looking like a large wing composed of many fingers. Mayu could help the slight look of displeasure at the sight. "I didn't come here to fight you," Sasuke informed. "I came to take you from this place, Juugo." As he spoke, his transformation gradually receded back into the form of the cursed mark, which then slid back into place. He, Juugo, merely stared at Sasuke in silence as if he was slowly processing what he had heard. Then he unceremoniously made a move to attack again. Mayu almost rolled her eyes. She could see where this was going.

"Enough, Juugo!" she exclaimed, halting his movement completely. All eyes turned to her. The older teen tried to, at least. Her demand still held in his mind. He could do nothing but stand still with his fist leveled with Sasuke's face, waiting for the next command. Mayu walked forward, disregarding the startled red eyes of Karin. She stood in between the two and crossed her arms. Standing so close, she got a good look into his mismatched colored eyes. Mostly confusion and anger, but there was vulnerability as well. His eyes reminded Mayu of someone else, someone important. _Gaara_... "Juugo, put down that arm." He had no choice but to follow the second command. No matter the struggles, no matter the protest, his mind was now hers to control. And with it, his body. As it lowered, his arm returned to its original state. The dark marks covering half of his body also drew back, removing the poison from his iris. Both eyes were now the same color, red-orange. "That's better," Mayu remarked. The hold she had on his mind was released. The older teen stumbled back. He then shifted his eyes to and fro.

With a frightful scream, he dashed into a room, slamming the metal door behind him. The guy was pretty fast even with a large chain and ball shackled to his ankle. "Hurry and lock me in here!" Juugo shouted from within the room. "I don't want to kill anymore. Just... please leave me alone!" No wonder it had been so easy to invade his mind. He had had only one thought after all. _Kill... Murder... Destroy... _Wasn't too hard considering that his other personality thought that way. This personality was docile and hadn't wanted to fight as Karin had stated earlier. "I don't know when I'll start killing again! Please, just lock me up!"

"He's so _adorable_...!"

The near squeal seemed to snap Karin from her startled state. "Wait, what?!" she exclaimed. "What just happened? What did you do?! I've never seen anyone just order Juugo around!" Mayu regarded the confused girl for a moment before disregarding her words all together. More than likely, this did little to lessen the hostility. Instead, she had turned to Sasuke, asking with her eyes. He understood and nodded his head. Mayu gripped the handle of the large metal door and pulled it open.

"What are you doing?! Get out of here!" Juugo screamed. "I'll end up killing you!" She ignored the warning. Instead, she took a look around. This prison cell was dark and cramped. How could he survive being locked up in this place? Mayu pressed her lips together, focusing on the trembling body of the older teen. He was curled in a fetal position, hands pressed firmly against his head. "What's wrong with you?!"

"A lot of things, actually," she confessed. "But that's beside the point. Juugo, there is no reason for you to stay here anymore. This place is falling apart. Pretty soon, there will be nothing left and if you stay here, you'll meet the same fate."

"So be it... As long as I can stop killing," he retorted. "Get out of here before I lose control again."

"If that's what you're worried about, then don't. I'll stop you from killing."

"What can you do? The only one who could stop it is Kimimaro... I won't leave without him," Juugo explained. "Just leave!"

"Yes, well, that guy is dead." Her blunt words were enough to cause the older teen's head to pop up. His eyes were both disbelieving and fearful. "He died, trying to bring Uchiha Sasuke to Orochimaru. He's not able to control your impulses anymore." The girl paused, gauging his reaction. Sadness and disappointment showed clearly in his eyes. Goodness... She wanted to cradle him right then and there. Shaking the thought away, Mayu continued. "But guess what? He's not here, and yet you've returned to yourself. Didn't you notice, Juugo?" She moved closer, and then lowered herself to his sitting height. "I can put a stop to your actions. I can stop you from killing when you go into that state. Now, I don't know how Kimimaro did it, but with my abilities, it would be effortless." Her knees lightly touched the cement floor as she leaned forward. She lightly pressed a kiss to the middle of his forehead.

"Y-You..." Juugo murmured, completely taken aback.

"Uchiha Sasuke needs you," Mayu stated once she reared back. She smiled then. "And _I_ want you, so let us take you away from this place. There's nothing but darkness left here." Slowly, Juugo moved. He stood up, causing Mayu to do the same. For a moment, he merely stared down at her. She stared back, unblinking. He hesitantly repeated Sasuke's first and last name as though he were asking a question. The girl nodded. "He's waiting. We're all waiting for you. Let's go." She headed for the door. It took a moment, but she did hear his footsteps following after her. Pushing the door open completely, she saw that Zai and Suigetsu had joined Karin and Sasuke in the hall. She decided to ignore their looks for now. "Got him. Can we _go_ now? This place bites... and not in a good way." They merely stared, though their expressions did shift to slight grimaces. "What?" she asked, looking confused.

0-0

"With this, all of the members are gathered," Sasuke began. "Now I'll tell you what my goal is." Many of them waited in silence. Mayu, however, rolled her eyes. Like it wasn't already common knowledge at this point. Well, she supposed that Juugo didn't know any better. He hadn't known that Kimimaro had died years ago, after all. "My goal is to kill Uchiha Itachi of the group known as Akatsuki. In order to do that, I want you to lend me your power. Of course, I won't force you." His dark eyes focused on Karin. "You said you had other business to attend to, right?" The girl immediately became flustered under the gaze of the shinobi. She shifted uneasily. The flushing of her face was clear to Mayu's eyes. She didn't like it. Not noticing the narrowed eyes that watched her, Karin fumbled with her answer. However vague, it was certain that she intended on sticking with the group.

"When did you get so obedient, Karin?" Suigetsu asked, chuckling. "All you really want to do is be close to Sasuke, right?" The red-haired female quickly protested such a thing. Mayu frowned. The feeling of dislike only increased as their squabble continued. Then, apparently, Suigetsu went too far with a comment that didn't quite leave his mouth due to the harsh slap Karin had dealt him. The strike had literally deformed his face into water.

"Suigetsu, stop pissing Karin off," Sasuke ordered. The sharp-toothed teen reformed his head, water dripping from his chin. "I thought I told you to cooperate."

"I got it." The grin remained. "Not my fault she's a bitch, though." He ignored the middle finger being directed at him. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I need to stick by Sasuke, too. His target's partner has a nice sword I wouldn't mind having." Suigetsu also ignored Karin's rather loud remark about his lack of skill with the sword he already had. He, instead, focused on Juugo. "What about you?"

"Kimimaro said that Sasuke's existance was like him being reborn, and Kimimaro sacrificed his life to protect him," Juugo explained. Mayu blinked, and then looked up in thought. Was that what happened? She didn't remember that. But Sasuke didn't look as though he was going to correct him, and so she opted not to either. "I need to see for myself what type of shinobi he is. Also..." His eyes, almost hesitantly looked at Mayu. "I want to trust in her ability to subdue my impulses. I want to stick close to these two." The two in question nodded their heads.

"And you, Kazuhiro-san...? You said that you were meeting up with a client soon," Mayu stated.

"Ah, right. I suppose this is where we split up," Zai stated. "Also, I'd rather not get involved in this type of familial matter. I'll leave now, but I urge you to be careful, Mayu. You're involving yourself with dangerous people."

"Thank you, but I'll be fine," she replied. "After all, birds of a feather tend to fly together, right?" Zai narrowed his dark green eyes, but didn't comment. Actually, Mayu considered herself equally dangerous, if not more. "Kazuhiro-san, you take care of yourself, too. I hope to see you again."

"Likewise," he said. The man bowed a bit before pushing himself from the rock pillar he had been leaning against. "See you..." Zai murmured, and then he headed in the southern direction. It wasn't until he was out of sight did Sasuke continue his little speech.

"It's settled then," he said. "We will travel as a group of four. This team has only one aim, and that is Uchiha Itachi."

"Wait, four...?" Suigetsu spoke up. He pointed a finger at Mayu. "You're not including her in the group?"

"No, and with good reason," she answered. The dark-haired girl stepped away from Sasuke's side, completely addressing the three in front of her. "My name, once again, is Ishikari Mayu. I am a kunoichi of the Leaf village. Although Uchiha Itachi is the target, our intentions for the man differ." Mayu crossed her arms. "Don't bother asking what my intentions are, though. More than likely, I won't tell you. I'm not a member of this group. I'm merely using the formation to get what I want."

"So basically, all you told us is your name!" Karin angrily slid her glasses back into place. "Just what is your relationship with Sasuke and the target?!" Her dark eyebrow twitched, showing annoyance.

"I don't have to tell you about the relationship that I have with Uchiha Itachi," Mayu retorted. She uncrossed her arms. "But for you, I'll show you what my relationship to Sasuke is." The kunoichi turned her back to the three and faced the stoic Uchiha. However impassive, she could still see the mirth hidden in his eyes. "Not only is he my teammate and friend, but..." Mayu took this time to seal the distance between with a kiss. She grabbed the back of his head. She could tell by the tensing of his body that the forceful, almost violent, kiss had been unexpected. Still, he gradually leaned into her, pulling her body closer to his by moving her hips against his. Ah, so he had missed her, too? Before it could go any further-she had felt his tongue slide against her lower lip-an enraged shout from Karin caused Mayu to rear back. She slowly opened her eyes, meeting his dark gaze. The corners of his lips were upturned, showing the slight smile. His cheeks were flushed as well. She loved seeing that expression. "But I'm also his girlfriend," Mayu stated. Her hand slid from the back of his head to his face, gently caressing his left cheek.

It took Suigetsu's hearty laughter to break their eye contact. Mayu grinned cheekily, winked, and then turned to face the three again. As expected, Karin was pissed. Well, serves her right. "Ha...! Sucks to be you, _eh_, Karin?"

"Sh-Shut up, you disgusting bastard!"

"Suigetsu," Sasuke's tone was warning. The sharp-toothed teen merely continued to chuckle. "Now... Since everyone is in the know, let's move on. We have another stop to make before going after our target. Let's go."

0-0


	36. Be Prepared

She bit her lip so hard that she could taste the blood in her mouth. This was the most annoying trip she had ever taken. By fucking far. Trying to ignore the annoyance proved to be quite impossible. Their voices were louder than they needed to be. Of course, this hadn't been the first argument to enter her ears. Most likely, it wouldn't be the last either. It felt like those two couldn't go a full minute without slinging an insult towards one another. Now, the conflict seemed to be about how slow Suigetsu was moving. Karin yelled at the white-haired male, telling him to hurry his ass up. Suigetsu calmly called her a bitch, and then explained that he had a delicate composition. Unlike her. It wasn't a shock that the red-haired teen screamed at him. Juugo had remained quiet this entire time—the strong, silent type, he was. A dark eyebrow twitched as the sounds of bickering increased. How was she the only one effected by this?

Mayu nudged her teammate with her elbow. He nudged her back. "Sasuke… I will kill them!" she hissed. The Uchiha merely smirked. "I'm _serious_! If something doesn't change, I will murder them right now!" She was fed up with the fighting. She could not understand how Sasuke had taken it in stride. He had tended to be the first one to snap under constant bickering.

"There's no need," he replied. Then in a louder voice, to get the others' attention, he continued. "We have arrived."

Instantly, the fighting behind them ceased. Mayu narrowed her eyes, looking ahead. There, in the distance, was some sort of town. In such a barren wasteland, it was a bit surprising to see. Upon closer inspection with chakra enhanced vision, the young Ishikari realized that not there was no movement within the city. _"An abandoned community?"_ she thought, furrowing her brow. Deciding not to say anything yet, Mayu continued to follow her silent teammate. Once they reached the deserted city, her she looked up. As they passed the entrance, she repeated the name in her head. Apparently, the place was known as the _Sky District_.

The team continued to walk through the dead metropolis, observing the desolate buildings and damage. Sasuke suddenly stopped walking and turned, causing his followers to do the same. They were standing outside of a building. This building looked much… healthier than the rest as if it was still in use. "This is it," he mentioned, and then stepped into the structure, expecting to be followed. Frowning, Mayu did follow as well as the rest. She stared at his back. Well, he seemed to have the leader role down, didn't he? The group walked down a barely lit path. Suigetsu sighed heavily, muttering something under his breath. Sasuke, however, heard him and explained that it was not one of Orochimaru's hideouts. It did, in fact, belong to the Uchiha clan. It was a supply base. "Here, we'll prepare for the upcoming battle," Sasuke stated.

"The hallways look so much alike. It'd be easy to get lost," Suigetsu remarked.

"The air here is stifling," Karin remarked, taking a wary look around.

"I'd have to apologize for that." A voice caused the group to halt their movements and look back. It took a moment before their eyes looked down. On the floor were two cats. Both wore clothes—red and blue respectively. The one in blue spoke again. "I knew it. It's that Sasuke kid!"

"Denka, Hina… It's been awhile," Sasuke greeted. Mayu's fingers twitched at the sight of the two adorable felines. She swallowed nervously, mentally telling herself to have control. Noticing this, the Uchiha raised a brow.

"What are you here for, _nyaa_?" The other cat spoke up in a much more feminine voice, gaining Sasuke's attention once more. He told them that he wanted weapons, medicine, and other things that were needed for battle.

"Talking tanuki, eh?" Suigetsu grinned as he walked toward the cats and squatted down. He held out his hand, beckoning them forward. "Hey, come here…" The cat known as Denka hissed and bared his fangs at Suigetsu, causing the teen to pull back with a startled yelp.

"Those are obviously _cats_!" Mayu corrected. "How could you possibly mistake them?"

"Those are ninja cats. I would advise not putting your hand in front of them. They'll tear you to shreds," Sasuke told him. Suigetsu looked back at the Uchiha with a frown, exclaiming that he wished he knew information like that beforehand. Ignoring him, Sasuke pulled out a bottle. "I brought you something—Matatabi." The bottle was instantly taken from his hand by Hina.

"Much appreciated, _nyaa_!" she said. Denka appeared by her side, telling the humans to follow him to Old Lady Cat.

"So… So… cute…!" Mayu murmured, following after the two.

0-0

The constant sound of meows filled the room as Suigetsu and Mayu played with the kittens on the floor. Shoulder to shoulder, they let the small cats chase after their hand. It was quite adorable to see the kittens tumble over each other in an effort to grab ahold of the wily fingers. Mayu left a giggle escape her mouth. She could recall a time where she had done this with her neighbor's cat. Sometimes, that old woman would let her feed him, too. Those were the good old days—where she could play without a care. Those days had come to an end. Now, there were limited times to just play. The thought made her frown.

Suigetsu furrowed his brow, feeling the girl beside him suddenly tense. Blinking twice, he took a glance at her out of the corner of his eye. She had become completely still, seemingly not noticing one kitten had latched onto her index finger. Did something just happen? He had barely noticed, but she had giggled right before she tensed. _Hrm_… They had been traveling together for at least four days, and yet he still didn't know her story. This girl was a mystery. The sharp-toothed male shifted his gaze elsewhere. Sasuke was busy speaking to the old woman, who resembled a cat herself. He hadn't been paying attention when her name was mentioned. A topless Juugo was getting help from the old woman's granddaughter, Tamaki. He only knew her name because she stated that they could play with the more domestic cats. Apparently, she was having trouble trying to find a shirt big enough for the massive teen. Karin stood off to the side, silent. This was the group he would be traveling with for a while. No matter, the swords were worth it. Suigetsu yelped, feeling tiny fangs dig into his skin. "You sneaky little…!" He resumed playing with the tiny animals in glee.

Sasuke passed a stack of money to the old woman. "I would like to rest here if that's okay," he said. "It's going to rain soon." Nekobaa nodded her head as she released the smoke from the pipe. "Thanks…" The old woman hadn't changed at all since the last time he had seen her. The Uchiha stood up straight as she ordered her granddaughter to prepare the rooms.

"How many…?" Tamaki asked, looking over Juugo's body, still trying to come up with some idea on how to dress him.

"Four," Sasuke answered.

"_Ah_, four rooms it is." She turned her eyes back to Juugo. She narrowed them, frowning before turning to her grandmother. "Ne, granny… Don't we have anything that'll fit him? I mean, he's so-" Tamaki glanced back. She smirked. "-_Big_…"

"Did you look in those boxes?" Nekobaa asked, not really caring.

"None of them fit!"

"Then just wrap him in that curtain! I'm not running a clothing store, ya know!" the old woman retorted.

"How rude…! We can't just do that to a customer!" Tamaki frowned. To end their verbal spar, Juugo grabbed the said curtain and wrapped it around his upper body. He nodded his head, giving a grunt in approval. He was not aware of Tamaki's flushed face. "… Cool…" Nekobaa, however, did notice and rolled her eyes.

She shifted her attention to the other female in the room. The kunoichi intrigued her a bit. The young girl had the scent of cats on her and it wasn't from the cats that surrounded. "Young lady…!" Nekobaa called out. It took a moment and a nudge from the white-haired one to get the girl's full attention. It was her dark skin and blue eyes that sparked Nekobaa's interests. "_Hm_… You are Ishikari, are you not?" Mayu's left brow raised. "Judging from her expression, I'd say you are." The old woman took a long drag before releasing the smoke from her mouth. "Your clan perished on their night, leaving only two of you left. You're not planning to go after _your_ relative are you?" The kunoichi shook her head. "I see… You must be… Ishikari Mayu, granddaughter of Ishikari Mayuri…" Mayu stood, nodding. "Yes, you have a striking resemblance to her. I met Mayuri-chan in her prime—quite the feisty one, she was."

"You're telling me," Mayu scoffed. Nekobaa smiled and asked her if she had a life partner. The kunoichi nodded. "Nana-chan," she replied.

"As I thought," Nekobaa murmured. "You are the last one who shook Uchiha Itachi's mind." Several pairs of eyes widen. "Has your mind been shaken as well?"

"… Yes. It has," she answered. "Do you-" Nekobaa suddenly laughed loudly, somewhat breaking the ice. "Well, well, now that my curiosity has been stifled, allow my granddaughter to show you to your rooms. Hope to it, Maki-chan!"

"_Eh_…? O-Oh right… Right this way please!" Tamaki came out of her stupor and began to walk away. She tossed the shirt in her hand to the side as she moved, expecting the group of five to follow. Mayu narrowed her eyes at the old woman before following Tamaki. That Nekobaa seemed to know a lot about her clan. It didn't sit well with her. Was she another person who _knew_? No one outside of the few people in the Leaf was supposed to know of her clan, let alone the events that happened on that night. Mayu would have to speak with that old woman again. She glanced back to see that Nekobaa had been smiling.

0-0

"And here is your room!" Tamaki said with a smile as she opened the metal door. Neither Sasuke nor Mayu uttered a word in response. Suigetsu and Karin had already been shown their rooms. "These rooms are sound proof." The brown-haired girl grinned even though she didn't get much of a reaction out of the two. "As I said before, showers are further down the hall. Any you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask… my grandmother." The two ninja entered the room, still remaining quiet. The door was shut behind them. Shrugging, Tamaki turned to the last member of the group. She tugged on his hand, pulling him down the corridor. "Your room is last." She looked up at him and smiled flirtatiously. "Say, do you like cats?" she asked.

"_Ah_," Juugo nodded.

"Good—I'm a cat person myself…"

Sasuke tuned out the fading conversation. His dark eyes focused on his comrade. Once again, she was deep in thought. What Nekobaa said must have really gotten to her. Her mind had been shaken? How? "Mayu," Sasuke said. To his surprise, she had said his name at the exact same time. She chuckled as she made her way over to the single bed. "We haven't spoken much since we reunited," he continued, watching her remove her boots. Mayu nodded in agreement as she kicked her shoes to the side. "How are you?" Of course, he knew the answer to that already. She was not okay. Something had changed in the time they had been apart. But would she tell him the truth this time? Normally, she wouldn't. So unwilling to let others know when something truly bothered her, it was her nature.

Mayu stared for a moment before beckoning him over. Sasuke furrowed his brow, yet complied. The moment he sat down beside her, she leaned against him. With a sigh, she closed her eyes. "Can... Can I get a hug?" she asked. The shinobi raised a brow, puzzled by the request. Still, he nodded and proceeded to wrap his arms around her. In response, she snuggled closer, face pressed against his neck. With her lips on his skin, he didn't even try to stop the warmth that spread through his body. "To be honest, I'm not okay. And... I don't think I'm going to be." She sighed heavily. "Everything is just so messed up now."

"What happened? What did you find?"

"Something that has been in the dark for far too long." Her reply had been doused in anger. "If what I found out is true..." She was literally trembling.

"Hey, calm down. I'm right here," Sasuke told her. Her body stopped shaking. Things had certainly changed. There had been a time that she would be doing the comforting. "What's got you so angry?"

"The past."

"I think I remember a certain someone questioning what was so great about the _fucking past_."

"Shut up, bird brain." She was grinning now. That was good. "So what about you? I know why you're out of the village, but how did you manage that. Surely Naruto would have put up an even bigger fuss than he did with me." That's right. Mayu didn't know. Sasuke swallowed a bit before explaining what had happened in her absence. "Damn, so he's gone then? Wait, so you just left Sai by himself?"

"Mayu, he can take care of himself."

"I bet it felt real bad when you told him, didn't it?" At his lack of response, Mayu chuckled lightly. "So the Hokage let you go, believing that you're just on vacation? That's a laugh."

"I highly doubt she believes what I told her. But she still let me go."

"How nice of her." For a moment, the two merely sat in silence. Eyes shut and completely content. Admittedly, this was the first time they had felt completely relaxed in a long time. "That woman—what she said to me—makes me worried…" Sasuke's eyes opened a bit. "The Ishikari clan was only known to a few, but I get the feeling she knows more than just my grandmother. I want to talk to her to see what all she knows."

"Will you use that?" Sasuke asked. Mayu opened her eyes as well. She lifted her chin, eyes focusing on his. If it came to that, then she would, and that is what she told him. "Then you're more comfortable using it?"

"Does that make you uneasy? That I use my ability more now?"

"No. Why would I? It's a tool to use... but it's also a part of you," Sasuke smirked in a teasing manner. "I already accepted your crazy ass. I doubt anything you do at this point will make me uneasy."

"Ah, Sasuke, you're _so_ romantic...!" The sarcasm dripped. However, her exaggerated eye roll had been followed up with a smile. This was good. He had been worried that she would continue to beat herself up over it. "Thanks, though... I-" He hadn't let her finish. His lips had lightly touched hers, ending her sentence. She giggled against him before pulling away. "You really missed me, huh?" His answer was another kiss. A longer kiss. His hands moved, shifting her body into a straddling position. Mayu complied with the movement, even going as far as to wrap her legs and arms around his body. She bit his lower lip. Not too hard, but not too gentle either. That was just like her. Yes. He did miss her.

Mayu reared back, almost breathless. She grinned, examining his face. He looked as flushed as she felt. Sasuke panted lightly, not exactly looking at her. He was too cute sometimes. The dark-haired girl kissed his cheek, and then lightly grazed his skin with her incisors. "You like to bite," Sasuke observed. "... I like it." Honestly, she could already tell. "Mayu, you—_mmph_!" She didn't let him finish. Her lips had rained down on his like hot lava. The intensity from Sasuke felt like fire, yet it was heavenly—_divine_. His muffled moaned only caused her to kiss him more hungrily. Her hand reached up, fingers gripping his hair. She yanked, making his chin tilt up. He did not object to the tongue entering his mouth. He pushed her body down hard on his. "_Gaah_..." Sasuke abruptly picked her up, practically threw her on the bed, and then walked out, slamming the door close behind him. It had happened too fast, and so it took a few seconds before Mayu's brain caught up. She shook her head lightly in disbelief.

"Was I just blue balled?" Blinking, she sat up, and then stared incredulously at the door. However, he did not come back. The room was quiet except for her light panting. "Okay... I guess I should talk to that woman now then." Mayu shrugged before standing from the bed. Come to think of it, he had acted like this before as well. The first time he had literally ran away as well. She sighed heavily. That would definitely have to be fixed. It didn't usually go this way in any of her romance manga...

However, there definitely were similarities. Mayu grabbed a fistful of her shirt. Her heart was going crazy. It had been more wild than the first time he had kissed her. She squeezed her eyes shut, wondering if she should be effected this much. Sighing heavily, she remained rooted to the spot for a time, attempting to restore her body's normal conditions. Once that was finally done, she moved towards the door. Expectedly, her boyfriend was no where to be found. He most likely was still running. Well, she had other stuff to do anyway.

The girl began to walk down the hall. That old woman knew far more than what she was letting on. So to clear up the situation, Mayu decided that she must speak with her. The kunoichi frowned as she pushed opened the metal door. As she thought, Nekobaa was still in the exact same place as she was before. The older woman blew out smoke. "I knew that you would return," she stated. The door closed by itself as Mayu walked forward. She sat in front of Nekobaa, paying no mind to the cats. This was a serious matter.

"So are you going to tell me what I want to know or are you going to make me go through the tedious process of asking questions?" Mayu asked. The old lady chuckled and commented how alike she was to her grandmother. "Yes, well, I know Granny Yuri wouldn't reveal clan secrets even if she did trust you."

"Your grandmother is not the one who told me. It was your honorary member," Nekobaa stated. At that, Mayu couldn't keep the bewildered expression from her face. "Yes, he recently visited me."

"Why would he tell you?" Mayu asked. She already had a feeling she knew the answer. However, she didn't want to believe it. The old woman scratched the ears of a kitten before replying.

"Itachi-kun believes his time is near. Though he didn't tell me much." The younger female lowered her gaze to the floor. She knew it. Itachi had been preparing for the end. Mayu bit her lip. There had been nothing she could do to stop that either. Once he had made up his mind, he had always followed through. It was the reason he had been living this way in the first place. He must have realized this day would come. "The last time he visited," Nekobaa continued, bringing the girl out of her thoughts. "It was just two weeks ago actually."

"Two weeks ago…?"

"Yes… He told me that his fiancee was alive and that someday she would turn up here. It looks like he was right, ne?" she chuckled again. Mayu frowned, not finding anything amusing at the moment. "Don't look so harsh, girl. He did what he thought was best for you." Nekobaa's focus was elsewhere, though. "Hina, go get it."

"Of course, _nyaa_!" The clothed ninja cat stood, and then jumped up, disappearing from Mayu's very eyes. The kunoichi smirked. That was a ninja cat for you. Seconds later, the cat returned. In her mouth were two small scrolls. Wrapped in her tail were two other scrolls, larger than the other two. Hina placed the scrolls in front of Mayu. "Here you go," she said, and then released the scrolls from her tail.

"Itachi left these behind?" she asked, picking up one. At this, Nekobaa nodded her head, complaining that she couldn't make heads or tails of the shit. Well, not really, but that's basically what was said. _"Of course you can't…"_ Mayu thought once the contents of the scroll were revealed. _"It's for clan eyes only."_ Inside, there were advanced jutsu of the Ishikari family. Everything instruction, every example, was written in the _special_ language. _"I wonder how long it would take to learn every single jutsu in these scrolls."_ Mayu lowered her eyelids. She realized what this meant. Itachi had given up his honorary membership. He truly thought he was to die in his battle with his younger brother. The Ishikari swallowed thickly and squeezed her eyes shut. Her brother, her fiance, her precious person, didn't plan on living too much longer.

Mayu quickly stood, grabbing the other three scrolls as she did. She placed the items in her back pouch. The teen bowed to the older woman. "Thank you… These will help on my journey, I guess," she murmured as she stood upright. Nekobaa dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Now if you'll excuse me…" Mayu turned her back on the woman and headed to the door.

"_Ah_, one more thing!" The old woman stopped her from leaving. "What do you intend to do that you know the true history behind your clan?"

"... I guess Itachi didn't tell you after all," Mayu said. "Because if you knew the history like I do, you wouldn't be asking me that question."

"_Haah_... Stifle an old woman's curiosity, child!"

"Thank you, Nekobaa-san."

On her way out, Mayu bowed her head, and then shut the door. For a moment, she only stood there, hand resting on the handle of the door. The time was getting closer and closer. Soon, she would confirm everything and watch her precious person leave this world. Her fingers clenched around the handle. Squeezing her eyes shut, she ordered herself not to shed tears. Not now. "You..." A voice snapped her out of mental mantra. Mayu lifted her head, and then turned. Karin, with her arms crossed and a displeased look on her face, stared at her. "What are you?" After a moment of collecting herself, the dark-haired girl raised a brow.

"That is a strange question to ask," Mayu remarked. "What do you mean?"

"I don't understand your intentions," Karin continued. "Our target is Uchiha Itachi. Sasuke has made it clear that we are to kill that man. But you... You are his fiancee." Mayu narrowed her eyes. So she had heard the conversation, did she? "I wonder... Does Sasuke know about this? What would be his reaction if he were to find out?"

"... Are you... threatning me right now?"

"I'm just concerned. Sasuke should know that one of his comrades has a conflict of interest." She stepped closer, eyebrows furrowed. "And then there's that... Your mind control. Maybe you're bewitching Sasuke with your ability." That did not sound like a question. It was enough to cause irritation. This girl had been showing hostility since they were introduced. Did Karin see her as a rival? Well, Mayu had abruptly come into the picture. She must have felt threated by another girl's presence. Perhaps it was time to show her that a rivalry was not needed. Why? Because Ishikari Mayu had already become the alpha female.

"You seem convinced already, _Karin_," she remarked. "Nothing I say will change your mind about my mind control. Then should I show you what it's like to be under my control?" Karin's eyes widened at the implication. She even took several steps away, backing into the wall. Paying no mind, Mayu followed after her. She was a bit shorter than Karin, but that didn't stop her from moving close, faces mere centimeters a part. "You see, when a person is under my control, they struggle. The body immediately attempts to fight off the invader and it shows. The trembling of the body after a command is given is how you know if I am using mind control." Mayu reached up, causing Karin to flinch. Instead of striking her, the young Ishikari tucked the red hair behind Karin's ear. "Do you want to test it? To see how you fare against my mind control?" However, she couldn't answer. The fear had been instilled within her. Mayu found herself not caring. "Good. Because you would fail," she continued. "If you are so worried about Sasuke... Well, you shouldn't be worried about him. That's not your job. Got it?"

"I... I-"

"No. You don't have to say anything. Let's get along from now on, shall we?" With that, Mayu pulled away from Karin. "You are very pretty. I would hate to dislike you." She intertwined her fingers with hers and smiled. "Let's take a shower and wash away our negative feelings, na?"

0-0

Sasuke looked up from his position on the bed. Almost flinching, he thought back to how he left the room. Embarrassing. Mayu must have thought he had been cowardly. However, once the person entered, he sighed, and then continued staring at the far wall. His sharp-tooth group member had strolled right in, without knocking. "Disappointed—am I not the person you wanted to see?" Suigetsu asked, grinning. He closed the door behind him. His question was right on the mark. Suigetsu paid no mind to the impassive look on Sasuke's face. He, instead, sat on the floor.

"Do you need something?" Sasuke asked, trying to keep the annoyance from his voice. Mayu could come back at any moment. How he had left things hadn't been very admirable.

"Relax, relax…! I just wanna talk," Suigetsu answered. Sasuke frowned at the white-haired male. He _was_ the talkative type, wasn't he? "If Mayu is your woman, then I'm guessing she's off limits, right?" For his question, Suigetsu received a Sharingan enhanced glare. "My bad, my bad… I was only looking for confirmation. I mean... when I first encountered her, she was very... intimate with me."

"You're not special," Sasuke told him. "She has never had a sense of personal space."

Suigetsu openly winced. Those were harsh sounding words. But the red did fade from his eyes. Sasuke was much more protective of that girl than he let on. Poor, poor Karin. She did not stand a chance in this situation. Not that he cared much about the redhead's feelings. Speaking of which, Karin was also in the shower right now. He knew because the bitch had come into his room and screamed at him not to 'mistakenly' come in. The sharp-tooth shinobi mentally scoffed. It only happened one time, and it _had_ been a mistake. As far as he was concerned, her body was disgusting—too many marks. "I just wanted to know if she was off limits to everyone because those two have been in there for _quite_ a while," Suigetsu comment was nonchalant. He noticed the twitch in Sasuke's right brow.

"Your point…?" he questioned.

"Nothing much… You said she's never had a sense of personal space. That means she can go either way?" Sasuke's expression remained impassive. "But I do wonder if they could be doing _this and that_," Suigetsu said. As expected, his leader gave him a blank look. He internally sighed. Even with a girlfriend, Sasuke was a social retard, it appears. "This and that, this and that!" Suigetsu repeated, raising his eyebrows suggestively. It took a moment before his expected reaction appeared.

"This and that…? With Mayu…?" Gradually, a pink tint surfaced on Sasuke's face. This caused Suigetsu try hard to keep the laughter from coming from his mouth. As he thought, Uchiha Sasuke was a closet pervert. Even though his face remained neutral, he could not deny the pink that had settled on his normally pale cheeks. At first, Suigetsu couldn't believe it. After all, it was Sasuke—his emotions were kept under lock behind that cold mask of his. However, he had seen the Uchiha's gaze focused on Mayu's body more than once since they met. Right now, there was no telling what was going through Sasuke's perverted mind.

Grinning, Suigetsu moved toward Sasuke. The Uchiha seemed none the wiser even though his eyes were wide open. The images his brain was sending to his eyes were probably much too distracting. His lips were inches away from Sasuke's ear. "Why don't we take a bit of a peek?" Sasuke apparently didn't find the concept as entertaining as he did. Suigetsu found himself pushed against the floor with a sword at his throat. "Hey, hey, it was just a little-"

"You want to die?" Sasuke asked in a dangerously low voice. The end of the blade pressed against his skin. Perhaps, he had taken the joke a little too far…? The drizzle of blood from his nose was sighted, as well as the darker blush on his face. Suigetsu lips twitched before forming into a grin. _Nah_, it was still pretty funny. Sasuke's unoccupied hand reached up and wiped the blood away. Realizing what the liquid was, he became flustered. "You tell anyone and you die—especially Mayu? Got it?"

The white-haired male chuckled. So his leader wasn't as fearless as he first thought, huh? Carefully, he pushed the sword away. "I got it, I got it," he answered. Suigetsu watched as Sasuke sheathed his sword. His vacant look returned as he sat back down. "Ne, Sasuke… You're unexpectedly cute." This game was so much fun!

"You really are looking to die then?" Sasuke's hand remained on his hilt.

"No, no—I'll see you tomorrow," Suigetsu headed for the door. He flung open the door, preparing to leave. However, he could not resist a final jab. "I've got a pretty big _sword_. I wonder which one Mayu wants—yours or mine." The purple-eyed teen had to quickly close the door in order not to be impaled with a deadly weapon.

"Suigetsu," a flat voice made the teen stop laughing. He looked to his right to see Mayu with her arms crossed. Again, he grinned. "What are you doing?"

"Just having a little fun," he answered. Suigetsu walked pass the kunoichi, tapping her shoulder as he did.

His echoing laughter only caused Mayu to frown. "Okay, whatever…" she murmured. The kunoichi pushed opened the door to the room she shared with Sasuke. Most likely, he wasn't sleep yet. She mentally shrugged as she entered. It didn't really matter. "I'm back," she announced, closing the door. It was then she noticed several kunai were impaled into the door. "_Eh_…?" She turned her eyes to Sasuke. He sat on the bed, looking as detached as he used to. This somewhat irritated her. "What happened?"

"Suigetsu needed to realize a few things," Sasuke answered.

"_Ah_…" Really, she did not get what the heck she walked into. Mayu shook her head, choosing not to think about it. She was much too tired. "Whatever…" She felt no point in figuring things out. Yawning, Mayu crawled onto the bed, her back against the wall. "Night."

Sasuke twisted his upper body. His hand brushed back her damp hair, tucking it behind her ear. "You tired?" he asked. Mayu nodded her head. "We have been traveling a lot." His dark eyes glanced at her bare legs. She was, after all, wearing a large tan shirt. "What happened?"

"Karin. I don't think we'll ever be friends," Mayu answered. "She's not as fun to tease as Hinata-chan."

"_That's _what's bothering you…?" The Uchiha scoffed a bit, and then lied down next to the her on the twin bed. It was small, so they were forced to remain close. Though, it wasn't a problem for him. For a moment, he only stared up. "Mayu, we're going to meet with Itachi eventually." Her blue eyes opened. He turned his head, eyes locking with hers. She smiled at him. It was hard reading her like this. What could she be thinking right now? That had been a serious statement, and yet she had smiled. The complexity of her mind was almost too much for him.

"Are you worried about my actions?" Mayu asked.

"Can you blame me?"

"No," she answered. "I was… very close to your brother, just as you were. However, my mentality is different than yours. If I were in your shoes, I'd wonder about me, too." She inhaled deeply. "But rest assured, I don't plan on coming in between blood." Mayu lost her smile. "Sasuke, I have to tell you something. I think you should know. I wasn't necessarily hiding it, but... I don't want you hearing it from another mouth either."

The Uchiha furrowed his eyebrows. He turned his eyes to the ceiling. Mayu sounded serious—more serious than she had any time before. He had to admit that her tone made him not want to hear what she had to say. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. A coward's way out, he thought, frowning. He turned his gaze back to Mayu. "Do it," he told her. "Tell me." The kunoichi nodded her head.

"I met Uchiha Itachi when I was very young," Mayu began. "He had ventured into our forest. He had found me and Nana. I must have been an enigma to him. After we met that first time, he continued to come back. For two weeks, he would show up. For those two weeks, I hid amongst the trees and watched him look for me. He looked... so different than what I was accustomed to. His expression was like stone. I wanted to break it. I wanted to shake him. And so after two weeks, I approached him again. I pulled a prank, brought him into my home and introduced him to mother and father. We had many fun and happy memories." Her slight grin came from remembering. Then she sighed. "That changed when your father found out about his oasis. I'm not sure about everything, but... Uchiha Fugaku proposed an arranged marriage between myself and Itachi." Sasuke's chest tightened a bit. Yes, he had already known about their past arrangment. However, hearing it from her mouth seemed different somehow. "I'll never forget what he told my mother. With their union, our clans will stop living in isolation. That was the first time I even thought my family existed in the dark." She shut her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, her gaze focused completely on him. "Anyway... That's the truth, Sasuke. I'm engaged to your brother."

"Did... Are you in love with him?" He knew the answer to that as well, but he wanted to hear her say it.

"Don't be gross, Sasuke," Mayu chided. "I only saw him as my brother." She reached up, tapping his nose. "You're the only Uchiha for me." Said Uchiha rolled his eyes because of her affectionate words. However, he could do nothing about the increase of heat in his cheeks. "When your father was around, Itachi regressed back to the state that I had found him. After I succeeded in shaking his mind, my efforts seemed like they meant nothing in the presence of Uchiha Fugaku. I wanted so badly to take Itachi away from that man. In my head, I thought that if we married, Itachi would take my clan's name and no longer be under the influence of his father. Marriage with him, I agreed to it. Even now, after all these years, Itachi is my fiance."

That was so like her. Self-sacrificing for those she called her precious friends. Itachi... Gaara... If that Yasmine girl hadn't turned out to be a psycho, Sasuke was certain she would have been a precious friend, too. "Will you come to hate me when I kill him, your precious person?" He had to ask. He had to know. Naruto had told him how she reacted to Akatsuki taking Gaara away. Would she feel the same in this situation? Eventually, she might. And... He couldn't be sure that he would be able to handle that.

"It crossed my mind," Mayu admitted. His throat constricted. "But in the end, hate isn't something I can feel towards you." Her palm touched his cheek. Sasuke shifted his body on his side to completely face her. "Don't think such silly thoughts anymore. You're... precious to me, too." He could only stare. The girl blinked once. Twice. "Sasuke...?" She chuckled a bit. "Come on, dude! You're supposed to be completely moved by that, saying something like-" Before she could attempt one of her silly impersonations, Sasuke chose to silence her with his kiss. She giggled and earnestly returned the gesture.

0-0

The door shut. Less than a second later, her clay cup smashed against it. Despite the harshness, it was a goodbye that had become standard for these visits. Without fail, he would come, and without fail, she would get angry and throw things. It was childish, rude, and maybe a bit crazy. However, she would not let him in. She refused to let him in. Yasmine threw herself on the bed, facing the wall. She crossed her arms and proceeded to pout. It had been three weeks already. Both her former caretaker and Neji had come to visit. Recently, it had only been her former caretaker. She assumed that had meant Neji had been mission-bound. They were too persistant, wanting her to revert back to how she had been. Small Yasmine. Weak Yasmine. Sponge Yasmine.

Well, she wouldn't. Go back. Ever. If she were to let them in again, if her past entered again, maybe it would kill her. She had been living like this for so long. Only thinking about the present, and occassionally the future. Never the past. It had haunted her. And now she realized her past had been a nightmare. She didn't want to remember. But that man, Jano, had been making it so hard. Yasmine squeezed her eyes shut, willing the memories away as she had done after every visitation. Though, with every visit, with every conversation, with every goodbye, the pain her chest grew. It had to stop or she would burn. On the inside. She imagined the feeling would quite unpleasant.

The door creaked open, causing the foreign teen to open her eyes. It had been too early for dinner. That door only opened for visits and meals. She had already pushed Jano away for today. He only came once a day. He hadn't broken routine even when Neji had gone on his mission. So the door opening again after, maybe, ten minutes had been strange. Yasmine turned her body just as her visitor shut the door. Her eyes traveled up, taking in his appearence. It wasn't a good analysis since she could only see his back. "You..." she began. She sat up. "Who are you?" Finally, he turned to face her. Deep green eyes scrutinized her from under his dark blue hat. He wore a long green trench coat, a dark blue shirt, dark grey pants and black boots. She had never encountered this man before. Could he be a new guard for her? That didn't explain why he had come into her cell. "What do you want?"

"It's not about what I want. It's what my client wants," he replied. He removed a scroll from the inside of his coat. He then set it on the floor before unwrapping it. Yasmine watched him, highly confused and a bit fascinated. "My client wants you to return to him." His eyes focused on her again. "Yamine, you-"

"It's Yasmine."

"What?"

"My name... It's _Yas_mine."

"P-Pardon me... I'm not used to speaking in your language."

"So what are you doing?" Yasmine crossed her arms again. "Who is your client?"

"He didn't give me a name. But he did refer to you as his... pet," the man answered. The foreigner's lips part as her expression transformed into surprise. She incredulously stammered out the title she was given by his employer. The young girl shook her head, showing more disbelief. She seemed way too confused.

"That can't be. I was told reinforements will not come," she finally spoke. "I was fine spending the rest of my life in here for what I've done." He clicked his tongue. It would seem that this girl was a dramatic one.

"You are merely a child. More than likely, you would have been released once you turn eighteen," he informed her. "Unless the Leaf village has changed its laws." She blinked once, and then tilted her head to the side. "Then... I will get started. We don't have much time." He furrowed his brow. "Don't worry. This won't hurt." Before she could make any type of response, he moved in a flash, appearing right behind her. With his small cloth, drenched in a knockout agent, it only took a few moment before her body became limp against him. He waited another moment before removing the cloth from her mouth. Then he lifted the girl's body, hand supporting her back and arm hooked under her legs.

He placed her on the bed, and then walked back over to the unraveled scroll. Dropping down to his knees, he began to perform hand seals. The set of seals had to be repeated before the process was done. His green eyes watched the girl's body. Suddenly, it began to glow. It was time. He slammed his hands down on the scroll paper. The teen's body faded, leaving only the glow behind. It hovered in the air, and then abruptly shot towards the scroll. The glow sank into the paper.

"It's almost finished," he whispered. The man stood, picking the scroll up as he did. Light pants came from his mouth as he wrapped the object again. He turned towards the door, and then exited, leaving behind an empty room. By the time it was discovered, Kazuhiro Zai would be long gone with his package.

0-0

The group of five finally stopped walking. There were in a forest, some distance away from a village. Covering their usual attire were dark hooded cloaks. The group had left the Sky District after resting for two days. They had been traveling nonstop since to make up the time. Finally, they had reached a point where they would separate per Sasuke's instructions. They each would gather information on the whereabouts of their target. Mayu decided to participate. Her goal was different, but the target was the same. She wasn't about to hinder the search, so she might as well help. Suigetsu suddenly announced that he was going to leave. Juugo did the same. "You better not cause trouble while you're out and about," Mayu said. For her warning, Suigetsu stuck his tongue out in her direction. However, Juugo stiffly nodded his head. Without another word, the two leapt away in separate directions. After rolling her eyes, the girl focused back on the other two. Karin seemed a bit too happy with the departure of her comrades. The red-haired teen removed her glasses and moved towards the silent Uchiha. Mayu's eye twitched when Karin's hand touched Sasuke's chest.

"Sa-su-ke...!" she purred out. Mayu told herself to count to ten. "I'm staying with you!"

"No. You leave, too," came the curt reply. His response caused Karin to tsk lightly and move away from him. She placed her glasses back on, grumbling to herself. Then her red eyes looked in Mayu's direction. She immediately tensed as though she had forgotten all about her. A smile, completely faked, crossed her face, and then she practically scurried away. Blue eyes watched until her presence was no longer felt. "Mayu," Sasuke got her attention. "I'm relying on you."

"Well," Mayu began with a teasing grin. She moved forward, coming to a stop centimeters away from him. "That could be dangerous. Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Who says I don't like danger?"

"You _bad_ boy," she retorted before pressing a kiss to his lips. Almost instantly, she felt his arms around her, pulling her close. She reared back before things got too heated. Sasuke... definitely liked kisses that went _beyond_ kissing. "I'm going now," she told him. He nodded his head, and then leaned in for another. It took another minute to completely separate from him. "Seriously, though, I'm going." Mayu turned her back to him, discreetly fanned herself, and began walking away. "Be careful. Don't start screaming if you get into trouble."

"Don't worry," Sasuke advised. "I'd only scream for you, anyway."

"Masochist," she called back, feeling her cheeks grow warmer. That cheeky reply had made her think of a time she had been under the influence of Haku's potion. She had actually told herself that she would make him scream... long and hard. That had been a crazy time. Then with a chuckle, Mayu jumped away from her teammate. The kunoichi turned her head to take one last glance at the Uchiha. _"He's gotten so strong," _she thought. Her contemplations remained on her teammate as she landed. By now, she was far away from him. To be able to overpower Orochimaru, a Sanin, was a huge feat. Even if he had been weakened… His eyes were a powerful weapon. Mayu lowered her gaze to the ground. It seemed she had wandered into a clearing, but her mind wasn't focused on this. _"He's changed so much from the little boy I used to know..."_ That lead her to think about the older Uchiha, which made her face contort in restrained bitterness. If Itachi had not done what he did, things wouldn't have happened this way. But it wasn't his fault. Itachi had been a young boy, following orders from his father. She could not blame him for what happened. And that's why on some level, she still loved him. "If we meet again, what will I do?" Mayu voiced her thought.

Choosing between a brother and a lover was not going to be easy.

A loud noise caused the kunoichi to stop walking. She looked up. That sound—it had been a bark. But that couldn't be. No ordinary dog had that much volume. Mayu grit her teeth as a thought crossed her mind. "I didn't think it'd be this soon," she groaned. She looked around. There was no cover in sight. Again, she looked straight ahead. A dirt cloud could be seen. According to her eyes, someone was coming on a giant _dog_. "_Don't tell me_…" Within a few short moments, the two came to a halt a few feet away from Mayu. He looked just as surprised to see her. Then he grinned, hopping off his large white dog. "Inuzuka Kiba…!" Mayu greeted.

"What's with the look? Aren't you happy to see an old comrade, Ishikari Mayu?" the dog user asked. Briefly, the two were silent. "I've found you, so now all I need is Sasuke. So, you wanna tell us where he is?"

"How should I know?" Mayu retorted. How long had she been away from him? Just how far had she gone? Kiba's nose, she knew, was more advanced than any human. The shinobi could probably sniff Sasuke out. However, he had asked her. Why…? Her only guess was that she had been walking for a long time before coming into contact with Kiba. Her scent—combined with sweat—must be overpowering Sasuke's. Kiba, though, wasn't as stupid as some think. He would figure out that he only had to trace her smell back to where she came from and find Sasuke. Unfortunately, that was not an option. Sasuke needed to find and confront Itachi. They _both_ did. There was no way either of them could move on without meeting Itachi again.

"There's no need to lie," Kiba said. "I already know you two are traveling together. You two were given time off, but now you and Sasuke have to come back home!"

"Home...?" Mayu repeated. Kiba didn't seem to notice her frown. If he did, he didn't comment on it. The kunoichi sighed. "Sorry, but I... we still have some unfinished business to take care of."

"To kill Uchiha Itachi, right?" the Inuzuka asked. The kunoichi chose not to answer. "I don't know what you and Sasuke's deal is with this guy, and I really don't want to know, but everyone is looking for you." Still, Mayu did not respond. "Me, Sakura, and Sai were assigned to find you two and bring you back."

That statement sparked a reaction from the kunoichi. Sai was some place near by? She pressed her lips together at the thought of the pale shinobi. He... Had he missed her? She missed him. Thinking of him caused a dull ache in her chest. She almost wished he were here instead of Kiba. Closing her eyes, the young Ishikari sighed. "Your efforts are wasted," Mayu finally muttered. She slowly opened her eyes again. "You can tell everyone to go back and find something more important to do. We won't be coming back. Apologize to Sai for me?" Kiba frowned at her words. Selfish as it sounded, her problems were the top priority right now.

"Look," Kiba's tried again. "The village came under attack while you two were on your little vacation." Mayu blinked, surprised. "Akatsuki came and destroyed everything. A lot of people were hurt in the attack." _So_?! She had almost let it slip out. "Including Hinata." A strangled gasp erupted.

"Hinata...?! What happened to her?!"

"Don't... worry," he replied. "She's fine now. Everyone's fine. Naruto came back and saved all of us. Still, we're supposed to bring you back."

"I'm..." Mayu tried her best to calm her heart down again. For a moment, it had felt as though she couldn't breathe. "I'm not going back. I can't."

"Not even to see your friends? Is Uchiha Itachi more important to you?!"

"YES!" The shout startled them both. Mayu shook her head. "I mean... right now, Kiba, he is more important. I have to meet with him. I have to find him." _I have to save him_, she thought. "So run to your team and run back to that village. Your mission became a failure as soon as we became the targets."

"Don't sound so cocky! I'm taking the both of you back—kicking and screaming if I have to! These are orders from the Hokage!" Kiba snarled. A humorless chuckle erupted from Mayu's lips. This probably ticked the Inuzuka off.

"I doubt that I would ever scream because of you and your _mutt_," she remarked. She smirked, somewhat enjoying the growl that came from the beast-like warrior. Getting him riled up had been a bit of a hobby. She didn't doubt that he felt the same about her. She pointed a finger at him. "I doubt that you can even get pass me to get to Sasuke."

"Keep talking like that and I _won't_ go easy on you!"

"Please, Kiba. You and I both know you've always tried your hardest to best me. But you can't, can you?" Mayu questioned. "It just proves that cats are better than dogs."

"_Tch_...! You're really asking for it, Mayu."

"Then stop standing there and give it to me," the kunoichi's face hardened, ready for battle. "If you can, that is." She quickly formed hand signs after biting her index finger. "Summoning Jutsu!" She slammed her hand against the grass. A cloud of smoke covered her body, hiding her from view. Once the smoke cleared, Kiba could make out another form next to the kunoichi. His nose twitched. Nana, her feline partner roared out and snarled in Akamaru's direction. Akamaru repeated the greeting with a bark of his own. Kiba placed a reassuring hand on his partner's back.

"So you want to even the score?"

"By myself, it would have been enough, but I, at least, wanted to make you feel like things were even," Mayu commented, taking her bow and quiver from the large feline.

"You...!" Kiba couldn't even form a proper retort. Good. He wasn't going to be as good. He rushed forward, followed by his partner. Mayu hastily did the same with Nana.

"_I don't have time to worry about a Dual Piercing Fang,"_ she thought, narrowing her eyes. She fished out a kunai and attached an explosive note to it. She then threw it at her opponents. As expected, the two separated. The kunai stabbed into the ground harmlessly. The note wasn't rigged to explode. "Take care of him, Nana!"

The two females raced towards their opponents and the battle began. Mayu attacked with a flurry of strikes, yet Kiba managed to dodge and block each one. However, the kunoichi kept up with the assault. If she hesitated, then it would more than likely be her downfall. She could _not_ let him use his Four Legs technique. He would become more than she could handle… probably. Kiba jumped up, using chakra to go higher. Mayu was right behind him. He stood this chance to deliver a roundhouse kick. His attack connected with her jaw. The kunoichi twisted away from him. As she twisted, she formed more hand signs. Once she stopped, she unleashed jutsu. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" The giant ball of fire spewed from her mouth and launched towards a shocked Kiba. Clearly, he wasn't expecting this type of attack.

Mayu watched the fireball consume him as she landed on the ground. Glancing to her right, she saw Nana and Akamaru were still wrestling on the ground with each other. Her blue eyes shifted back to the sky, only to see a burnt log in the process of falling. Shit, she thought. The kunoichi was suddenly kicked in the back, sending her forward. Her body sprawled on the ground. Of course it didn't hurt. Her teammates hit much harder than that. "What are you doing—trying to kill me?" Kiba asked, frowning. "I'm not your enemy you know."

"At the moment," Mayu stood. "You kinda are."

"Fine, be like that." The shinobi squatted down. He'd have to take of this by himself since Akamaru was preoccupied. He raised a hand sign, and then shouted out the name of his ninjutsu. Kiba bent forward, placing his hands on the ground. His normal nails grew into claws and his canines grew and sharpened into fangs. He gave a feral grin. "Is this what you wanted?" Mayu swallowed nervously. That was the _last_ thing she wanted! But she wasn't going to let him know that.

"_Meh_..." she replied with a careless shrug.

The beast-like ninja charged at her. His claws ripped into her skin, not too deep, but enough to send a message. And it was clear; he was faster than her. Again and again, attacks seemed to come from all sides. Mayu clenched her teeth after his barrage had ended. She fell to her knees, and then to her hands. _"The message is also wrong."_ Sasuke was a whole lot faster. Inwardly, the kunoichi smirked. Hearing the Inuzuka taunting her, Mayu almost rolled her eyes.

"What's the matter? All that talk and nothing to show for it? All this vacation time made you soft!" After such a witty remark, it must have surprised him when Mayu smiled.

"One, vacation was a ruse," she began, removing the torn cloak and discarding it. "Two, you _really_ don't want to see the show my voice can put on." She placed her hands back on the ground, nails digging into the dirt. Her knees lifted, leaving her feet and hands to support her. This must have annoyed Kiba because he glared. Her stance had looked similar to his. He hadn't sparred with her since she had learne of her heritage. This was all new to him. That gave her the advantage. Well, simply one of advantages. Because there were more. "And three... You _hit_ like a _little_-"

"Don't you fuckin-"

"_Bitch_."

Angered by her taunt, the Kiba ran forward. Mayu tore across the field herself. She saw the widening of his eyes. He had been taken off guard, of course. He wasn't the only one to gain speed by using all fours. The kunoichi punched, kicked, and clawed at the shinobi—going back several times to do so. In his eyes, she was moving too fast. Mayu finally finished her assault and stood a few feet away. Kiba coughed out as he fell to his knees. Her attacks were focused on his torso to knock the wind out of him. An out of breath opponent was a weak opponent. That was something she learned from Itachi.

The Inuzuka's breath came out ragged as he glared at the kunoichi in front of him. He knew that she did not mean to cause him any harm. That was good. That meant she wasn't abandoning her village and comrades. Kiba held his stomach. _"Still, I have to bring her back."_ He narrowed his eyes. He should have known her fighting tactics would change after she had introduced him to her feline partner a few months back. Hell, he didn't think he would have to fight her. Not like this. But since she had effectively distracted Akamaru, collaboration wasn't possible at the moment. _"Looks like I only have one shot to knock her out."_ He knew from experience that a person might be extremely fast, but their reflexes were still average.

Mayu watched Kiba through narrowed eyes. He was scrutinizing her, most likely trying to find weak points. Suddenly, the shinobi disappeared from her sight! _"Shit…!"_ She turned around, knowing he would try an attack from behind. That's what nearly every ninja did. Her leg struck out and hit his side, sending Kiba away. Unfortunately, her attack only hit a log. Mayu cursed herself for falling for such a trick. However, she didn't have time to berate herself for long. A strong blow to the stomach caused her to gasp and double over.

Kiba gently laid the unconscious girl on the ground as he pulled his fist away. He would have liked to fight her and see what her true abilities were, but he had no time. His feral eyes turned to Akamaru and—he believed her name was—Nana. They were still going at it, wrestling, biting and scratching one another. Despite the intensity of their fight, Akamaru seemed to be enjoying himself. The Inuzuka allowed a grin to cross his face. Yeah, he had to fight this girl again. Chances were that it be a worthy challenge. "Wait a minute…! Isn't that cat a summoning?! Shouldn't she have disappeared already with—_fuck_!" Before he could turn his eyes back to his opponent, a very loud explosion diverted his attention away. He looked towards the East. A brilliant light, which towered high above the trees—probably higher than the tallest mountain—made Kiba stare in amazement. "What the…?!" The growls had stopped coming from the two fighting animals. They, too, must have been astonished by the light.

The kunoichi, who had only pretended to be unconscious, slowly and quietly stood. Kiba's back was to her. Her eyes only glanced at the illumination that was happening far from where they were. Her only thought was to use it to her advantage. Once she was right behind the Inuzuka, she called his name. The shinobi whipped around, only to receive a palm thrust to his nose. She could hear the bone cracking of the force of her hit. Disoriented, Kiba stumbled back, holding his nose. A heavy flow of blood leaked through his fingers. _"With that, he won't be tracking anytime soon," _she thought. "Like a little bitch," Mayu repeated.

"Why you…!" Kiba began, ready to lunge but the kunoichi merely dropped down, out of his sight. She rammed her fist so hard into his stomach that he gagged on his own blood. She followed up with a blow to his temple. He couldn't handle it. Kiba collasped, unconscious.

Mayu stood up straight. "I'm... sorry…" she murmured. She looked down at the shinobi. At least, she had bought Sasuke's group some time. Speaking of which... Her gaze shifted back to blast, only to see that it had transformed into dark smoke. If she remembered correctly, that had been the area where she had left Sasuke. She almost rolled her eyes. One of the last things she had told him had been to _not_ get in trouble. "Nana-chan, it's time to go!" The giant feline nodded and went over to her. "Akamaru, your partner will be in danger if left alone. I suggest you stay with him or something bad could happen." A disgruntled, yet affirmative bark was her answer. Mayu hopped on Nana's back. "It was like an atomic bomb…" She bit her lip, telling Nana to go. More than likely, the others would be congregating. _"Sasuke, what the hell happened…?"_

_0-0_

Mayu watched, rather glared, as Sasuke was being wrapped in numerous bandages by Juugo. She had wanted to scream, yell, kick his ass, maybe, but in this state, that was impossible. The idiot had gone and gotten himself hurt pretty badly by Deidara of Akatsuki. Apparently, the blond had blown himself up, trying to kill Sasuke. Luckily, he had escaped the blast before it could destroy him. Currently, the group of five was in an inn, miles away from where the detonation occurred. Suigetsu was sitting down, resting his back against the wall. Karin, who looked annoyed, was standing with her arms crossed. Sasuke was sitting up on the futon. And Mayu sat on the left side of him, watching Juugo finish his task.

"_Hah_! You talk about killing Itachi…" Karin scoffed. "You won't be able to move for sometime in this condition!"

"We've been moving around nonstop. This is as good as time as any to rest up," Suigetsu commented.

"All you've _done_ is rest, you feeble punk!" Karin pointed an accusing finger.

Deciding to ignore the rest of their argument, Mayu placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "You did a stupid thing," she told him. "But I understand you had no choice. Deidara is crazy about his… art." She refrained from rolling her eyes. "You probably pissed him off by being rude, didn't you?"

"I don't know what that guy's problem was. In the end, he didn't tell me a thing about Itachi's whereabouts," Sasuke muttered, slipping his inn kimono back on. Mayu removed her hand so that he could. His dark eyes shifted over to the members of his team. Juugo had gone over to the window by now. For some reason, he was topless. Mayu, however, had yet to figure out why. "Enough already!" Sasuke's commanding voice ordered. The two instantly straightened up. "Suigetsu, Karin… Have you gathered information on Itachi?"

"You're in no position to act so bossy!" Karin remarked.

"I picked up some tips about Akatsuki," Suigetsu answered. "But there wasn't anything specific about Itachi."

"I got zero," the redhead admitted, looking guilty. Sasuke remained quiet, obviously disappointed by the information, or lack thereof. Suigetsu explained that Akatsuki was searching for people with 'special' chakra. However, that was a fact that the Konoha ninja already knew. Special chakra equaled those with Tailed Beasts contained inside.

"I did some talking to animals and located a number of Akatsuki hideouts," Juugo stated. "It seems they always sense an unpleasant chakra around each area. That's what the animals say."

"Even simple-minded animals can sense chakra, _eh_?" Suigetsu murmured. He then grinned. Mayu had a distinct feeling that his next words were going to bring about something bad. "Or maybe it's because they're simple-minded… Just like you, Karin."

"_Ah_, damn," Mayu sighed after the sensitive redhead rounded on the sharp-tooth teen. She kicked him in the face hard, causing him to deform to water. She did so several times, not giving him a chance to reform. The yelling and protesting could probably be heard throughout the inn. That's when she heard Juugo, muttering to himself about killing. "Look what you idiots did now!" Mayu shouted. The two stopped their fight and looked towards Juugo. His face and upper body were beginning to become covered by the curse.

He almost sprang forward, but Suigetsu and Karin restrained him, just barely. The two struggled to keep him calm. Mayu only stared. This was just what she needed. She was already feeling irritated by what she had learned, what she had done, and now she had to deal with them. "Mayu..." Finally, Sasuke got her attention. "I have to tell you more." She nodded in understanding. She turned to the three struggling teens. She'd give them something to struggle to.

"Juugo-kun, calm down _now_," Mayu ordered, voice laced in control. Because of that, the three fell to the floor, each of them panting. The massive teen choked out an apology. Her face softened at that. Karin and Suigetsu looked back and forth between her and Juugo. She ignored it. "Sit down." Without struggling, he actually did it. "Karin, go and get more supplies." Her indignant protest did not stop her from following through with the order. Her body trembled every step of the way. Suigetsu's blurted out laughter caused Mayu to roll her eyes. "Suigetsu, go with her. Hold her hand the whole way." His laughter abruptly cut off. "And every time she uses violence against you, you will kiss her cheek."

"You cold bitch."

"Yah, now go," Mayu demanded. He did so, cursing and stomping as he did. She turned to Sasuke. He raised a brow. "What?" He gave her a look. "Okay, so I kinda started shipping them... hardcore." Sasuke sighed heavily.

"Please tell me this isn't going to be a NaruHina thing," he almost pleaded.

"Don't be ridiculous!" she retorted. "NaruHina is all about the fluff. SuiKa is just sexual tension, merely my guilty pleasure, nothing more."

"You're just as bad as Naruto and Sai," Sasuke muttered, shaking his head.

"_Ah_, that reminds me," Mayu snapped back to reality. "There's a team looking for us." She now had his full attention. "I ran into Kiba." The twitch in his left eye caused the kunoichi to give a flat look. Deciding to ignore that for a moment, she continued. "He, Sai, and Sakura have been told to find us and bring us back."

"Why?"

"... To be honest, I'm not sure why," Mayu admitted with a shrug. "But Kiba did tell me that Akatsuki attacked the village. It's been destroyed. Naruto came back and saved everyone. So... It doesn't make sense that a group was sent out to look for us." Blue eyes watched her comrade as the information sank in. He didn't seem all that shocked. "I disabled him, so he won't be tracking us for a while."

"Good. We can't go back until Itachi's-" Sasuke paused as though he was hesitant. "Until we find Itachi, we aren't going back. I don't know what Tsunade-sama's thinking. She let me go, knowing what I was after, but she calls me back before then just because of the village? You're right. It doesn't make sense. What could the two of us possibly do at this point?" As it had been a rhetorical question, the room became silent. Then after another moment, Sasuke spoke again. "The plan hasn't changed. We find Itachi, and ignore everything else."

"I thought as much," Mayu nodded her head. "Oh yeah... What did you want to tell me?"

"... That girl, Yasmine, she was with Deidara," he answered. "Somehow, she must have escaped the village before it was attacked. But... She's dead. She was caught in his blast."

"Wh-Why are you telling me this? We were enemies."

"You cried for her. She mattered to you."

"..."

"I just thought you should know."

"... Go to sleep, Sasuke," Mayu whispered. "I'm... I'm going to get cleaned up now."

"Mayu-"

"No, I'm fine! I'm... fine," she interrupted. "Juugo-kun, I release you."

Before Sasuke could speak another word to her, she had left, sliding the door shut behind her. Great. Maybe it had been a bad decision to tell her that so soon after she discovered the village had been attacked. It was strange, though. Most of Akatsuki had died already. The rest had wiped out the entire village? Just how much power had been used? And Naruto... How much power had he gained since the last time he had seen his best friend? Sai would know. "I need you to do me a favor, Juugo," he said.

0-0

One of the biggest mistakes that I've made is creating a tumblr account. Shame on me. Because its one hell of a distraction. A bit like an addiction. It's not good. Not at all.


	37. Bittersweet Closure

_Mentally,_ the girl sighed and lowered her head. She had spent ten minutes in the inn's shower, attempting to get her emotions under control. Attempting and not succeeded. Her brow furrowed together as she stared down at the floor beneath her. Really, she should not have cared so much. However, admittedly, news of Yasmine's death had… shaken her. It had been unexpected—feeling something for the foreigner—after everything she had done. _She mattered to you_, Sasuke had told her. His statement had yet to stop echoing in her mind. Mayu shut her eyes for a moment. Okay. She had cared. _"She's dead…"_ It had been okay to mourn her passing. It had been okay to feel something. Yasmine had been her friend for a time. It had been okay to spend a few minutes mixing the water with her tears. _"But it's time to move on."_

Pressing her lips into a thin line, the young Ishikari slid open the door to the shared room. She was greeted by the sight of Uchiha Sasuke in the midst of looking over a map. The map had been spread out in front of his sitting form. He had changed into his own clothes—a bit different from what he had worn previously. A sleeveless gray shirt showed off his arms. His arm guards were gone, too. In its' place were bandages. She narrowed her eyes, wondering if he had been given enough time to actually rest. "We're leaving," he informed her. His dark eyes slid in her direction, and then returned to the map. "Once Suigetsu, Juugo, and Karin get back." Mayu stepped into the room, eyes roaming the room. It was clean. It was though the previous altercation hadn't taken place. Her gaze returned to his form before she closed the door behind her. She then walked over and sat across from him. Her hand lightly touched the map before sliding it to the right. "What are you doing?" he questioned.

"We…" Mayu bit her lower lip. "We don't have the time anymore." Sasuke knitted his brow. "I've been putting this off longer than necessary, and I'm sorry. But it's only a matter of time before Kiba, Sai, and Sakura find us. We need to meet with Itachi."

"What are you saying?"

"I… I know where he is," she admitted. Sasuke stared at her, eyes wide, for a full minute. He suddenly moved. Her arm had been grabbed and she had been pulled towards him. The young Uchiha showed her a glare. Mayu frowned, but did not avert her eyes. "Well, I know where he intends to go, if he's not already there. Before I left the village, Yasmine gave me the message. It took me awhile to understand it, to go through my memories to find out what the message meant. I know what he meant, and so I know where he is." Sasuke's grip on her arm increased. "Calm down," she continued. She lifted her free arm and lightly caressed his cheek with her hand. His hold on her decreased and his expression softened a bit. "He's not going anywhere. He's waiting. For us."

"Mayu…" Sasuke closed his eyes, sighing through his nose. "Are you ready to meet him? Are you truly ready to see his end? If you're not-"

"I'm not," she interrupted. "I'm not ready to see it. You already know. But I accept it. I know Itachi… I know that he will pay for what he did." Her hand slipped from his face. "His death… is something we have to face." Sasuke sighed again. He moved again, this time pressing his forehead against hers.

"I know this is hard for you, but you can't interfere," he ordered.

"I know. I didn't intend on getting in between blood anyway. I only want… to be there. I'm going to be there for it." Mayu pulled her head away. "We should go now. Waiting for those two might not be a good idea." She stood up, pulling her comrade up with her. Sasuke didn't respond, only regarded her in silence. "What?"

"Do you think I'll win against him?"

"What?"

"Before… when we were younger, you said revenge doesn't have to be a one person thing," Sasuke supplied. "I'm fighting him alone after all. Before, you were confident that if I had others helping that I would win against him. But since I'm fighting him alone in the end, do you think I can…"

"Don't be stupid, Sasuke!" Hands on her hips, she glared at him. "You have me! I'll be there. Even if I don't lift a finger, I will be with you the whole time. You'll win." Mayu noticed the corner of his lips upturn just a bit. "You won't ever be alone again, Sasuke."

This had been one of the reasons he had fallen. Ishikari Mayu had always pulled him up. Had always submerged herself in his darkness just to pull him from drowning. He would have been consumed a long time ago without her. Sasuke placed both hands on her cheeks and moved to kiss her. She relaxed against him almost immediately, and then her fingers grabbed onto his shirt. He reared back, noticing her puckered lips. The young Uchiha almost chuckled. "Thank you," he told her. Her eyes opened, looking a bit confused—and a bit miffed, too—that the kiss had ended so soon. "After all this is over, I'll make you scream."

"Just what every girl wants to hear," Mayu replied drily. She then grinned, gave him a chaste kiss, and then pulled his hands away from her cheeks. "If _anyone_ is going to be screaming, though, it's you."

"Looking forward to it."

Mayu's nostrils flared suddenly. It signaled that a familiar scent had reached her nose. "They're back. We should go," she said. Sasuke nodded his head. With a smile, she turned and began walking towards the door. The young Uchiha followed after her. The two made their way downstairs and out of the door. Predictably, Suigetsu and Karin were squabbling about something or other. Juugo stood idly by, not bothering to watch them. His eyes spotted them immediately. He walked over to them, greeting them with a slight bow.

"Sasuke, I have what you requested," Juugo announced, reaching into his cloak. Mayu made a noise of inquiry. The taller teen then presented her with a gift. Satisfied, Sasuke watched the kunoichi's eyes light up at the sight of the manga. A sharp intake of breath had stopped the others from continuing their banter. Curious, they had turned their attention to her. She ran in place before snatching the book from Juugo's hand.

"This is the last volume of _Twin Degrees_!" Mayu squealed, holding the manga up as though it had been some treasure. Sasuke found himself smiling a bit. He supposed, to her, it was. "With everything that's been going on, I completely forgot about Kara and Tatsu!" She held the book close to her chest. "Thanks so much, Juugo!"

"Ah, it was Sasuke's request," he stated.

"Really…?" She turned to the person in question. "How'd you know?"

"Naruto."

"_Ah_… Well, thanks…" Mayu turned back to face the bigger teen. She beckoned him with her finger. Juugo furrowed his brow, leaning forward. The kunoichi still had to stand her on the tips of her toes to reach him. She pressed a kissed to the middle of his forehead. Giggling, she stepped away, only to give Sasuke a kiss to his lips. The two teens both flushed for two different reasons. "So, shall we go?"

"Don't crash into any trees while you're reading," Sasuke said. Mayu only saluted him. He turned his attention to the rest of his platoon. "We're going after Itachi now."

0-0

It wasn't long before the group was traveling again. This time, they were moving through the trees. Mayu had her eyes firmly planted in reading. Every so often, she would release a squeal of glee, a passing remark about how Kara was such an idiot for letting Tatsu walk away, and giggles. Very obnoxious and loud giggles. Karin's attempts at shutting up the dark-haired kunoichi were ignored. Mayu had completely shut down the outside world. It was a wonder why she hadn't slammed hard against any tree trunk yet. Red eyes glowered in her direction. But once it was clear that the girl wouldn't be provoked by eye daggers, Karin turned her attention to the leader of the small faction. The redhead informed Sasuke that there were multiple chakra signatures heading their way. "What's the plan to stop them?" she asked.

"No plan," he answered. "We're almost there, anyway." He gestured for the kunoichi to look ahead. "He's close." The group leapt out of the forest and landed on a building. They only got a second to look around before Sasuke ran across the roof, forcing them to run after him. Karin's sudden shout of warning caused the group to halt their movements. Narrowing her eyes, Mayu snapped her book close. She shut her eyes for a moment, and breathed deeply through her nose. She slid her book into her weapon's pouch, and then completely focused on the presence in front of her. Ahead of them, a twirling blue ninja came to a stop. He grinned at them. "You…?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Kisame—I see that you've become a ballerina since the last time I heard about you," Mayu commented. The missing-nin glared in her direction. He squatted down on the pole he was standing on. He scrutinized her from afar.

"_Ah_, the cheeky brat from before," Kisame suddenly grinned. "Still got that hammer of justice?" An embarrassed flushed settled on Mayu's face. She hadn't expected the blue-skinned man to remember her antics as a child. Hell, she hadn't expected him to connect her previous appearance to her current one. The kunoichi outright ignored the questioning gazes of the three ignorant members. Luckily, Sasuke seemed to of have forgotten about that encounter with the shark dude. Either that or he was focused on the task at hand. That was good. He couldn't realize that she remembered anything until it was all over. After biting her lip, Mayu schooled her features just in case her comrade decided to glance her way. "Anyway, only Sasuke-kun, plus one, can go any further," Kisame stated. "On Itachi-san's orders of course. The rest are welcomed to wait here."

The young Ishikari frowned. So it had really come to this point already. Silently, she breathed out. Mayu took several steps forward until she stood beside Sasuke. "That's fine with me," he replied. "They're only traveling with me as a platoon, anyway. In order for there to be no interference with my fight, this will do just fine. Mayu will come with me." Sasuke only glanced at the others. "You three stay here." Karin began to protest, heatedly proclaiming that this turn of events weren't fair, why had Mayu been the one to get chosen, and she could definitely assist him better than her. "Mayu isn't going to help me fight. Stop complaining about things you don't understand." The redhead immediately shut her mouth, appearing dejected. If the situation hadn't been so, Mayu might have rolled her eyes. Despite the changes within him, Sasuke was still cold towards others he wasn't completely comfortable around. "Let's go."

"_Mm_." She nodded her head. Together, they took off, past a grinning Kisame. With each leap they took, it felt as though time was dwindling. Mayu swallowed hard, finding their pace far too fast. It wasn't like she could slow this whole thing down. Not anymore. They had all made their decisions. As she had said before, it was time to face the storm. But before that… "Sasuke," she captured his attention. "Before we meet him, there's something I have to tell you. To be honest, I was holding this information back as well." He didn't response with his voice. However, his foot slammed against a tree's branch harder than necessary. Mayu squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. "I already said that Itachi and I were engaged… The engagement would bring two clans together, but it was also my way into the Academy. As my clan wouldn't be secret anymore, I could officially train like other kids to be a ninja."

"You would have been in my class?"

"Yup, if I was, you probably would have struggled to keep your number one rookie title."

"Hilarious."

"I would be just like my uncle, except I wouldn't have to use the transformation technique to blend in and obtain ninja status. My mother and I—we were going to walk into town proudly, something we couldn't do up until that point. Normally, it had been honorary members of our clan that would venture into town."

"Honorary…?" Sasuke echoed. "What does that mean?"

"Outsiders without our blood or abilities… Those who married into our clan, I mean," Mayu explained. "See, with our genetics, the dark skin and blue eyes are dominant. Any offspring born with Ishikari blood would have these features, so we couldn't very well walk into the village without arousing questions that didn't need to be answered. They could go into town without worrying and… just be normal, I guess." She suddenly sighed out. "Anyway, that day, my mother had taken me outside of our home to enroll me into the Academy. We… never made it. Itachi blocked our path. Me being a kid, I had been more concerned with the sight of my best friend than the strange look on his face. Itachi… He wouldn't look at me. He completely ignored my attempts to gain his attention. He only… stated at my mother and apologized. It was so weird." Mayu shut her eyes as the memories came back to her. "I remember being so confused, but I got distracted by mother. She had squeezed my hand so tightly, I thought her nails would were going to dig into my skin and draw blood. I… That's when everything changed. Suddenly, the surrounding area felt stifling. Thinking about it now, it must have been killer intent. My mother lashed out. She attacked Itachi, and then ran. With me in her arms, she ran back to our house. That was the day, I was sent away and my memories were erased."

She drew a deep breath. Sasuke slid his tongue over his front teeth. By the way her story had been told, he could already tell where it had been destined to go. He swallowed hard, watching her from the corner of his eye. _"The death of her clan…"_ he thought. When they were younger, they had already discovered that his father had something to do with the annihilation of a clan. And what's worse, there had been evidence of betrayal.

"… I don't know why my mother attacked him, but Itachi—he ended up running after us. Burned our forest and killed almost everyone. Itachi, by himself, is the one who killed my clan and left my mother to die on the orders of Uchiha Fugaku," Mayu went on. The intense look on her face—it had been a rare occurrence. "Now that I truly think about it, maybe we weren't going to enroll me. Maybe the sole purpose had been to speak with the Hokage about whatever deal had been worked out through the arranged marriage. Maybe your father knew of my mother's intentions, and that's why…" Sasuke noticed her blinking rapidly. In an effort to get rid of tears? "Whatever the case, that had been the day and night of our clans being mostly wiped out. Mine first, yours later." So he had been wrong then? His theory of an Ishikari clan member helping to eliminate his clan hadn't been accurate. Finally, the two came to a stop right in front of the entrance of an Uchiha hideout. He merely glanced at their destination before refocusing on Mayu. "Whatever happened in the past, I have decided not to blame Itachi. I have decided to forgive him. One day, I hope you can do the same. He… will always be our brother, and so I hope you can when your revenge is complete."

"Mayu…" Honestly, he didn't know what to say. He realized that she still had lingering affections for Uchiha Itachi despite all he had done. However, she actually wanted him to feel the same? Sasuke couldn't even imagine it. Not now. "I'll think about it." A slight smile appeared and his insides clenched. "Now, we're here. I don't want you near the battle, but if you must see the conclusion, do it from a safe place.

"Yes," Mayu nodded her head. "We should split up for now, though. I promise I won't fight him. If I find him first, I'll alert you." She could tell that he didn't like that plan, but honestly he had no choice. She had already broken away from him, heading into the base. Hearing the grunt of annoyance, Mayu suppressed a smirk. Then she focused on the task at hand. Finding Itachi was her priority now. So she walked through the mazelike hideout. Steeling herself, she came to a stop in front of a door. This was where his scent was most concentrated. Her hand reached for the handle. She was almost ashamed to realize that her fingers trembled. The young Ishikari gripped the handle and briefly shut her eyes. She scolded her body for reacting this way. She had already resigned her mind. Her body should follow. Breathing out slowly, she pushed open the door.

Her eyes fell on the Akatsuki cloak first. Then her gaze worked its way up. His eyes were close as if harmlessly sleeping. He sat on a stone chair, looking more like a throne than anything. Upon further inspection, she noticed the Uchiha crest had been painted on the wall behind him, along with tomoe. The room was dimly lit by candles instead of artificial light. Mayu stepped forward and shut the door behind her. "So it has come to this," he began. Uchiha Itachi finally opened his eyes to gaze upon her. With his fingers laced in front of him and his legs crossed at the ankles, he didn't appear to be too worried with her arrival. "You have such a strained look on your face. Can I assume you have come to stop what has already been set in motion?"

"… No," she confessed. "Rather… I have come to see you one last time. For what happened when we met, I said some pretty mean things. I'm sorry."

"I was not expecting an apology. I assumed you hated me."

Mayu blinked three times, feeling a certain stinging in her eye. Shit. No. No. She could do this. She _could_. Faltering now would be… would be… The room around her felt as though it was spinning. Her esophagus felt as though it was slowly closing. Swallowing hard, she clenched her fists at her side. "Am I already trapped inside your genjutsu?"

"How observant of you," Itachi commented.

"Then I can speak freely." Her whole body tensed, anticipating his reaction. "I know what happened. I know what caused our families' destruction." However miniscule, his eyebrows rose. He was alarmed. After all these years, she could decipher that expression. "The alliance, the coup, your _orders_—I know what happened. Itachi, how could you-" The man stood up abruptly. He appeared in front of her just as quickly.

"How did you come across this information?" he interrupted. His expression had regressed back to being completely neutral. He had been shocked, but had managed to mask it again.

"Does it _matter_?!" Mayu blurted out. "What you did-!" She cut herself off, averting her gaze to the floor. She had to calm down. If she became too worked up, she would forget the reason for seeking him out in the first place. "To clarify," Mayu went on, returning her gaze to his body. "Your father and my mother arranged a deal, stating that when the time came, Ishikari would support Uchiha. Through our marriage, the coup d'état would have thrust the Leaf village into civil war. You, as a double-agent, had to stop that from taking place. At thirteen, you killed our families to protect the village you hold dear." Her eyes narrowed. His remained stoic. "Tell me I'm wrong," she dared. Silence was his response. "You knew more at that time—you knew the little details that I either ignored or was ignorant about. I want to know those details."

"… You were never meant to find this out."

"Well, I did, so the least you can do is fill in the gaps for me."

"What do you wish to know when you already have the knowledge?"

"Although I know these things, I don't _understand_ them. It all comes down to one question. With everything that happened, just… _why_?" Her voice shook. "Why did my mother attack you? Why did she agree to such an alliance in the first place? Just why did things happen the way they did? If your orders were to kill us, why didn't you _just kill me, too_? All this drama… _Why_?!" Her voice had risen until her last question came out in a scream.

"Mayu." Itachi lifted his arm and extended it in her direction. She smacked his hand away. Immediately, his arm dropped back to his side. Without restraint, she demanded that he not treat her like a little girl anymore. She wanted answers. And she wanted them now. It couldn't be helped after all. Tears welled and spilled over. No matter how many time she had told herself not to cry and rehearsed her words in front of his apparition, being in the presence of the real thing had been a completely different story. "You are filled with anger and hatred. You shouldn't have become this way. I apologize."

"Sorry isn't going to cut it!" Mayu irately wiped her tears. "Tell me what I want to know or I'll _make_ you!" For a moment, he didn't seem as though he would. Then he opened his mouth again.

"Very well," Itachi relented. "I suppose it is only fair. You have so come far."

0-0

_Eight years ago_…

The tension was so thick, surely a stray kunai could cut through it. He had found himself in the middle, watching the stare down take place. The two pairs had been at this for a total of seven minutes—going on eight. Just how long were they going to keep this up? Dark eyes lowered to the tatami floor before shifting again. He would rather not become caught between the two clan heads. He had been the only one to endure it as well. Well, it certainly seemed that way. To his left, his friend sat seemingly oblivious to the tension shared between their respective parents. She blinked slowly, appearing seconds away from nodding off. If this had been a different situation—and his parents hadn't been present—he would had kicked her for appearing so nonchalant.

"So…" Ishikari Mayuka began. He found himself drawing a breath and tensing. "It's a pleasure to finally meet the head of Uchiha. It is an honor." The atmosphere immediately shifted. Heavy and dark—almost suffocating. From his vantage point, he could see the vein in the middle of his father's forehead bulge, showing his irritation. Beside him, his mother kept a polite, albeit, bemused smile. The pleasant smile the dark-skinned woman wore had not helped. As she had done so on purpose, she did not care for his reaction. "Shame. Itachi-kun got a few features from your husband, Mikoto-sama." The youngest Uchiha in the room noted the slight movement from his father.

"Ishikari-san," he spoke hastily. His murmur successfully focused the attention to himself. "I apologize… for the inconvenience."

"It is fine, Itachi-kun. You are not at fault." Her gaze went back to his father. "The visit, though surprising, could turn out to be beneficial. So tell me, Uchiha Fugaku-san, what has caused you to come to my home unannounced and bring your _poor_ wife along?" His father cleared his throat, though it appeared he had been attempting to calm himself in front of such a woman. Mayu had received her habit of teasing from her mother. The woman knew very well that his father was the leader of the Uchiha clan, not his mother.

"You know very well that we have already come to an agreement," Fugaku said. "I-"

"I haven't agreed completely."

"You _will_."

"So this was a ploy, was it?" Mayuka questioned. "Bringing your wife to appeal to my motherly instincts in an effort for me to agree faster?" Her pleasant smile had become forced whilst his parents shared a glance. "How very clever of you, Uchiha-san." With narrowed eyes, she opened her mouth to speak again. However, her husband interjected.

"Mayu-chan…!" he said. Said person snapped to attention as though she really had nodded off. Itachi wished he could share her blissful ignorance. "With this sudden visit, we forgot to show our manners. Be a good girl and fetch our guests some refreshments." The young girl grinned and stood up. More than likely, she had been excited at the thought of leaving such a 'boring adult' conversation. With an affirmative nod, Mayu left the room and shut the door behind her. After a few moments, Ishikari Haruka released a sigh. "Now, no need to get worked up. I'm sure we'll all curious about the details of the agreement. Both parties have been vague to this point." Generally, the man wore a laidback expression, but there were times, like now, his face hardened to fit the mood. "So, Uchiha-san, tell us exactly you have my daughter to do once the agreement is locked."

"As I told you before, your daughter would act as another infiltrator," Fugaku stated. "With her unique abilities, she would be the perfect Uchiha spy. As no one else knows, it would be easy for her to gather information." Itachi dipped his head. At the time, he hadn't known that Mayu's technique had been something only she could do. He had carelessly mentioned it to his father when he had demanded to know things of the Ishikari clan. It had been a mistake to let his father know that secret. "When the time comes, we will use the information she has gathered in order to overwhelm the leaders of this village. Because of your daughter, a full scale war won't happen. But in order for this to take place, our children will marry. She has to first exist in order to enroll in the Academy. Isn't that what you want of your daughter?"

"Yes." Without hesitance, Mayuka had replied to the weighted question. Never had she spoken of it out loud, but she had not wanted the life she led to be transferred to Mayu. She knew in her heart that her daughter would not conform. "You got me figured out. Congratulations." Her tone held a bitter edge to it. "If I accept, then you promise not to set your plan in motion until Mayu has reached an appropriate age?"

"In order for this takeover not to draw blood, then we would have to promise that, Ishikari-san," his mother spoke up. "You are not the only one who worries about their child's wellbeing once this is all over. This plan will succeed and our children will no longer be held in the dark, sinking in isolation. The Uchiha and Ishikari clans—haven't we had enough of this life?" Mayuka shut her eyes and drew a deep breath through her nose. For a time, all were silent.

"Very well," she finally agreed. "I will inform the Hokage and the council of the arrangement. They will have no choice but to grant my daughter existence early and allow her to train as a ninja. She will get your information and when the time comes, you will have the full support of the Ishikari clan."

"It is fortunate that we have reached consensus," Fugaku remarked.

"Yes, it is rather fortunate that you thought to bring your wife along. Tell me, Mikoto-san, are you sure it isn't _you_ whom leads the Uchiha?"

Before things could take a turn for the worse, Itachi decided to stop being mute. Any more teasing and surely his father would not be able to hold in his ire. "I am to marry Mayu," he stated. "I have no qualms with this. For the sake of the two clans, I would do this without question. However, Mayu's reasoning-"

"She will do it. Upon contemplation, she will see that it must be done," Mayuka interrupted. "I know my daughter well. Her reasoning will surely be different, but in the end, she will agree to marry, Itachi-kun."

"Then when the time comes, I am at your service, Ishikari-san."

"There is one thing my wife has neglected to mention," Haruka stated. "I'm sure you've realized that I am not Ishikari by blood, right? I married into this family, taking on my wife's surname."

"What are you saying?" Fugaku questioned.

"It means that Itachi-kun, once he marries, will not have the Uchiha name anymore. His clan will officially be Ishikari," Mayuka said as though she hadn't revealed unforeseen news. Predictably, Itachi's father and mother showed their surprise. Then came the outrage. His father had been more vocal about his protest than his mother, but the indignation could be felt coming off her in waves. Admittedly, sometimes, he would forget that his mother had retired from a life of a ninja. Every so often, little reminders would surface. The dark-skinned woman let their objections fade before speaking again. "This is not another restriction the Leaf village has placed upon us," she said. "This is strictly Ishikari tradition. Both women and men that become honorary members take on the name Ishikari—_no_ exceptions. Itachi-kun, once married, will belong to the Ishikari clan and he will answer to me."

Itachi stayed silent, yet he realized it must have been something like that. Haruka, as he previously said, had been a prime example. The man had more or less left his own family to be a part of this one. Itachi speculated that Haruka's blood relatives did not know of his location. Perhaps they even thought him dead. Other members of the clan must have been in similar circumstances as inbreeding didn't seem the way they procreated. He… did not mind the circumstance. In fact, it would be better this way. In ten years' time, this could all seem pointless—overthrow simply unnecessary in both clans' eyes. "You tricked me!" Fugaku fumed, snapping his son out of his thoughts.

"_You_ are the one who suggested marriage to seal the deal, Uchiha-san," Mayuka coolly retorted. "Nobody _tricked_ you." She arched a brow. "Be glad you get to know what happens to your son. Others weren't so fortunate." Her husband whispered her name and her body relaxed somewhat. "If all goes according to plan, you won't need to worry about Itachi-kun. The Ishikari clan won't be hidden anymore at that point. He will be taken care of and have status in our clan as well as the village. He will not disappear into the shadows like so many others before him. You will lose your son, _in a sense_, and I apologize for that. However, you will gain the full backing of our clan. You have my word, as long as you keep your end of the bargain. So, now that you have this newfound knowledge. What do you plan to do with it? You already know the stakes. Do you still propose marriage in exchange for my daughter's ability? If not, the whole deal's off and you can plan your little takeover without me. Either way benefits Ishikari, so the decision is yours."

Itachi could tell that his father was seriously reconsidering the arrangement. Most, if not all, of his life, Fugaku had been training and grooming him to exceed him and take his place as the head of the Uchiha clan. That time spent mentoring would go to waste if the deal was struck. Also, the deal meant the Ishikari would benefit the most. Not only would they have the Sharingan in their midst, but they would also have the most promising Uchiha be Uchiha no more. The clan could not lay claim to him or his abilities.

However, his father had wanted a bloodless war too desperately. Despite being a strict man, Itachi wanted to believe he wouldn't put his family—his clan—in harm's way unnecessarily. Forming an alliance with the Ishikari clan seemed the only possible way to change things peacefully, at least in his father's mind. "Fine—the arrangement is still agreeable," Fugaku conceded through clenched teeth. Mikoto pressed her lips into a thin line, obviously not liking the decision. "The official agreement will be written up. We will both sign it once it is approved."

"Of course."

0-0

_Three weeks later_…

Each step he took felt heavy—heavier than the last. Rigid and mechanical, Uchiha Itachi walked down a familiar path, eyes trained on the ground in front of him. He hadn't wanted this outcome. Out of all possible scenarios, this had been the most unwelcoming. However, his orders were clear. There could be no going back after the day and night had finally ended. Everything had already been set into motion, and he couldn't change a thing… in the end.

Despite his outward appearance of tranquil, the young shinobi felt utter turmoil at what must be done. He had thought he would have time to stop such nonsense. The arrangement would have allowed him the time to sway such a drastic decision. It would have ensured that the clan stay subdued long enough to make them see the error of their thought process. Plunging their village into war, no matter the reason, was foolish. Nonetheless, he had underestimated his clan's level of frustration and impatience. The power had been wretched from his hand. He no longer had the strength to protect all of the things he cared about.

At his side, his hand clenched. If only he hadn't relied so much on the arrangement, perhaps he would had thought of another way to end things. If only his clan hadn't decided to accelerate their plans. If only… If only… Perhaps it had been pointless to place blame. Things had taken a turn for the worst and because of that his family, as well as his oasis, needed to be 'put down.' This had been his only option. He had to live with his own decision until his dying day. "Weasel…!" An excited voice brought his inner lament to an abrupt halt. Regardless of his resolve, he could not stop his body from trembling nor the widening of his eyes. Itachi came to a stop.

Slowly, his gaze lifted from the ground. Almost ten meters in front of him, Ishikari mother and daughter were making their way towards him. Young blue eyes had only became brighter the closer they became. Conversely, the older pair of eyes seem to darken. Mayuka—since when did she begin looking at him in that way? The dark-skinned woman was nearly dragged forward by her daughter until they were right in front of him. Merely an arm's reach away now. Mayu attempted to gain his attention. He couldn't look at her directly. She remained ignorant of the situation. The head of the Ishikari clan, however, had always been sharp and wary of her surroundings. It was at that moment that Itachi realized that he did not deserved to be loved anymore. This was his punishment for holding onto his childlike fantasy. This was his fault for being too passive. He was to blame for this turn of events.

"I…" Itachi began. He shut his eyes, feeling the stinging. It had recently become a familiar feeling as of late. It had started with Shisui. It would end with his little brother. Afterwards, he would only feel numb at what he had done. What he would do. "I am sorry, Ishikari-san."

Once he had muted his overwhelming emotions, he lifted his eyelids again, revealing his triggered bloodline. Mayuka immediately grew alarmed and her grip on her daughter's hand increased. Chakra pumped quickly through her body. She released her hold on her daughter and shot forward. A twitch in her shoulder told him what she intended to do before she did it. The woman spun on the ball of her right foot, bringing her arm up to strike with the back of her fist. Itachi flawlessly caught her wrist before it made contact with his temple. She appeared shocked for just a moment. Then she kicked his torso and tugged her arm free from his grasp. Admittedly, he allowed her to get away. Perhaps he would never truly be ready for what he had been ordered to do. She had grabbed Mayu and headed back to the shelter of her home. Itachi narrowed his eyes, watching her disappear with her child behind the condensed forest. _Erase their existence completely_, he had been told. That is what he must do. No longer could they be the people he had shared memories with. They were targets. Nothing more.

Itachi walked forward, resolve reforming each time his foot hit the ground. Within seconds, he stood at the edge of the forest. He concentrated his chakra into his right eye. The black flames of Amaterasu erupted and began burning the woodland. The fire spread quickly, making a clear path for him and continued to burn the surrounding faux creation. There would be nowhere to hide. The shinobi reached up, fingers smearing the blood under his eye. He had to be quick about this. Reluctance would only draw out the inexorable. He ran, creating a copy of himself by means of the Shadow Clone Technique.

The two ran up the rock and wood foundation, and then split up once they reached the top. Already he knew that every member of the clan had been home at this time, except one. It would be quick. It would be clean. It would be merciful. Itachi came across defenseless members. They had actually greeted him with smiles. Then the screaming began because of his clone's work. Their smiles disappeared and were replaced with looks of confusion. His katana ended their lives before they could speak. "Itachi…?!" His shoulders tensed, recognizing the voice. The husband. "What are you doing?! Why are you doing this?!" Itachi slowly turned to face the man.

"I am sorry. I cannot accept your position." Moving almost mindlessly, he slid his blade across Haruka's throat. A scream—a bloodcurdling scream seemed to echo all around him. He whirled around only to see the horrified faces of mother and child. She called out to the dead man as though he could still hear. She screamed and cried. Twinges of guilt threatened to overwhelm him, but Itachi managed to push the emotion aside. He stepped toward them. The woman violently jerked back before running into a room along with her daughter. Following after them, he repeated a mantra in his head. _The only way_, he thought. He found the woman in the middle of the room, shaking and crying. She stood protectively in front of her daughter. "It has come to this, Ishikari-san."

"Itachi… Why did you kill them?!" Her strangled question made him pause. "Why did you _kill Haruka_?!" Her voice, raw and hysterical, nearly broke him. However, this must be done. It was the only way. Steeling himself, he moved quickly, pushing the child away. His katana impaled the woman from the back and the tip burst from her front. Her body tensed as she gurgled on her blood, and then went limp. _The only way… The only way… The only way…_ Itachi removed his blade and focused on the last Ishikari. The girl had backed herself into the far corner. Her blue eyes stared up at him, so full of fear and confusion. With unshed tears and a quivering body, she mouthed his name. She shook her head, eyes still wide and focused on him. Itachi's grip on the hilt increased as he slowly made his way over to her.

"D-D-Don't…" Barely a whisper, the woman pleaded from her spot on the floor. He turned slightly. She had been attempting to crawl towards him. Something within shattered at the sight. He had made a mistake and had missed her vitals. "Ple-Please don't kill… D-Don't kill my baby. I beg yo-you, It-Itach…kun…" Gathering her strength, she forced herself to sit up. "My ba-baby doesn-" Her words were interrupting by a coughing fit. She spit out blood and hissed clearly in pain. He may have missed her lung, but he had pierced it. "Be a goo-good boy and le-let me… sav-save you… let me save you both! My bab-babies… Please!" That's it. He could not do this. Once again his resolve had broken.

The young Uchiha let the katana fall from his hand. He then dropped down to his knees, pressing his forehead against the floor. "I'm so sorry!" He repeated his apologies over and over again. Tears did not come. However, his body convulsed with the pressure of his sobs. Itachi—the boy, not the shinobi—pleaded for forgiveness. In his heart, he knew he didn't deserve such a thing. But… From Ishikari Mayuka, forgiveness would-

A gentle hand touched the back of his head. He froze, eyes snapping open. Drawing in a breath, he didn't dare lift his head. Her inhibited and whispered plea filled his ears again. Her death had been brought by him, but she would still think of his wellbeing. It hurt—far more than it should have. "Ishikari-san…" His gaze settled on her bleeding form. She called him a good boy again and ruffled his hair. Tears still dripped from her chin, but she managed a small smile. "What would you have me do?" Her hand slipped from his lowered head as he eyes focused elsewhere. Her hands began moving, slowly at first, but then picked up speed. Itachi's eyes expanded recognizing the hand seals.

"Transfer of Mind, Body, and Soul…" Several bursts of chakra exploded the corner of the room, in particular from Mayu. The girl screamed out, body completely enveloped in chakra that had not been her own. The colors of the chakra, which surrounded her, indicated that there had been many people behind this jutsu. Just as it had been with the forming of Tsukeru. "Transportation of Ishikari Jutsu!" With one last burst, stronger than the previous one, Itachi was lifted off the floor and slammed into Mayuka. The unnatural winds faded suddenly, leaving papers and such to flutter to the floor. As expected, Mayu's body had completely disappeared. He had learned of this jutsu from Haruka. A forbidden jutsu that had the power to move a person. Where—no one knew the answer to that question. It had happened once before, and to this day, the man had not returned. Furthermore, the transported person had their memories wiped. According to what Haruka had told him, the powerful technique had been a last ditch effort in case something drastic happened. Something drastic like this…

Itachi turned his head, eyes settling on the still form of Ishikari Mayuka. She was still, yet not dead. It wouldn't be long now, though. She had exhausted her chakra and was still bleeding profusely. He laid her body horizontally, cradling her head in his lap. "Ishikari-san… what I've done, what I will do… You cannot save me." Through blood, her eyes opened. A fresh stream of tears slid down the sides of her face. She lifted a shaking hand and cupped his left cheek.

"I kn-know… But you… allowed me to send… Mayu from this place…" Her words were slow and soft. He had to strain himself in order to hear and understand her. "I sa-saved her… so that she can… save you… from your sorrow and grief. She will… help to end your… eternal suffering. I-I-I… The jutsu will no… not keep her aw-away be-because of my… my st-state. My daughter will… come back… and… and…" Mayuka's hand fell. It had taken a full minute to realize that the head of Ishikari had passed. Still, his body had remained tensed as though waiting for her to complete her sentence.

"Ishikari-san…?" Itachi mumbled. "Ishikari-san…?" The boy remained in the same position for… for how ever long it took for him to accept this type of parting. He swallowed hard before sliding himself away from the dead body. A shuddering breath was released. Suddenly, he was nodding. "That's right," he whispered. "Mayu survived… She will find me. In the process, she will meet Sasuke. She will shake him, keep him sane, just like me. She will do this. That is how she will save me. Is that what you meant, Ishikari-san?" Of course, she did not answer. She would never answer him again. Mentally, he shook nearly all thoughts from his mind. He wasn't finished.

Not yet.

0-0

_Present_...

Mayu furrowed her brow, staring at the man. That hadn't told her a thing! Of course, she should have realized beforehand. She wouldn't get a straight answer until she asked a specific question. Itachi had always been like that. Being vague enough so that whomever he spoke to would draw their own conclusions. Well, she didn't have time for his eccentricities. "What you've told me doesn't explain why my mother agreed to an alliance with your clan. She did not know any better, and so she would have been loyal to the Leaf until her dying day," Mayu said. "A coup, even if she believed it would be a cold one, was not something she would agree to."

"You do not understand?" Itachi questioned. "I assumed I had been clear enough."

"If that was the case, I wouldn't have asked _again_!"

"… Ishikari-san was, indeed, loyal. However, she, like my father, loved her family more," he explained. "She would have gone to great lengths for her only daughter. And she did."

"What does that mean?!"

"Calm yourself, Mayu-chan. The answer is obvious if you think critically. I have already told you what I know. You, yourself, have already discovered the information. Apply it, and you will have your answer." She knew he was right. But she just couldn't see past her sadness right now. What Itachi had told her only brought up painful memories, which triggered her anger. She couldn't think straight with something like that biting at her brain. She had been holding in anger this whole time, barely keeping the lid on. But she knew he was right. She didn't normally run on emotion. She was a thinker—a strategist. Her strengths had always been her mind.

Inhaling, she closed her eyes, and then released her breath. She sifted through all Itachi had told her. As a whole, it had all seemed pointless. Wait… Unique ability? That couldn't be right. She didn't gain her special abilities until she and Ino had used their respective clans' mind technique on each other. There had been something else. Fugaku had called her a perfect Uchiha spy. What did that mean? The ability to completely conceal their presence had been something all in the clan could accomplish—those who had the connection with feline partners anyway. Tsukeru had not been the case either as she had recently learned it and her mother and uncle could do it flawlessly; plus that wouldn't make someone a good spy.

There was the switching minds thing. However, it hadn't been used for information gathering like the Yamanaka's technique. It was primarily a battle technique, which allowed the user to switch minds with a target; they could do just about anything to the target once their body was there's to control, and then go back to their own body without consequence. Her mother used to tell stories of their ancestors and how they would sneak into enemy camps using the technique and cause bodily harm before returning safely to their bodies. There was also the copying. Once the user of the technique returned to their body, they had the option of using the person's innate abilities—not techniques, just abilities. Like when she had switched bodies with Sakura. The medic-nin had an immunity to the poisons she used, and so when she returned to her body, she had gained that immunity, too. For a time, at least.

Mayu shook her head and opened her eyes. She still didn't understand and voiced her puzzlement. Itachi had the nerve to look exasperated for a split second. "You… Do you not realize…?" It had been a question, but it didn't seem like he had been aiming it at her. "You seem to be misunderstanding something, Mayu-chan. Your mother knew what you are. That is why she did what she did. Had you been… a normal member of the clan, she would not have resorted to dealing with my father. Or perhaps… my father would not have resorted to dealing with your mother."

"Itachi… Clearly I am _too_ _close_ to the situation to think logically about this! Hurry up and tell me or so help me-"

"Abomination." Mayu sharply inhaled and flinched as though Itachi had moved to strike her. "Your mother knew from the start what you are. She shielded you, made you think your ability was something all Ishikari could do. When you carelessly used your ability on me, and I later told my father, she realized that she could no longer protect you. Your secret would get out and your life would change into your own hell. She conspired with Uchiha to change the way of the village so that you would not have to go through the same thing your ancestor went through. Ishikari Mitsuo—an abomination just like you." Through clenched teeth, she snarled out his name. Itachi had known more than she had previously thought. That word—abomination—had been something a select few were called throughout the history of the clan. Before she had called it a curse. Now, she'd rather call it a mutation. Not an abomination. It was an atavism of the mind. But how did her mother know?

"She _couldn't_ have known! I just found out when I came back to this world!"

"No, it had been obvious back then," Itachi replied seemingly disinterested with her objection. "You are the only one who can reach inside someone's mind and make their genetics your own." Mayu's lips parted slowly. A cold wind swept through her body, causing a slight shudder. "Your mind had been more developed than it should have been. That had been her indication that the atavism would reach you. Judging from your expression, you must know what happens to Ishikari like you. Not even your uncle knew."

"Mother…" Mayu's legs wobbled, coming to a realization. Ishikari Mayuka had lied from the beginning. If she hadn't, then her daughter would have been taken from her. Like Mitsuo, she would have been tortured and made into a tool. That is why her mother had wanted the coup. To prevent her from growing up a shell of her former self. "Why… If you knew all this… why—how can you still put on this façade, Itachi? Why didn't you just tell us?"

"Why would I tell a child the horrors of the village they grow up loving?"

"Why would a child take on those horrors as if they were his own?!" Mayu retorted aggressively. "You are not to blame for anything that happened, and yet you would have made us think otherwise, your last of your family. I can't understand you, Itachi. I can't—I just _can't_."

"Do not blame the village, Mayu. It is not their fault there are those who wish to ensure the safety of the village… by any means necessary." The teen fell silent, choosing to mask how she felt. As always, Itachi was right. That didn't stop the utter fury she still felt. "Everything I have done, I have done it to protect you both. Neither of you were meant to learn of this information."

"Sasuke doesn't know. He's still here to kill you… as you wish," Mayu replied bitterly. "And I won't tell him once you've gone. But I refuse to be a force that keeps him in the dark. If he begins to learn what really happened, I will not stop him from knowing the truth."

"He will-"

Mayu interrupted him from speaking further by wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in the cloak that had branded him traitor. "I didn't come here for this!" Her statement had been muffled, but surely he could understand her. She then lifted her head, staring up at him. "You have chosen to die and I can't stop it per your request… but like mother said, I can… save you." Tears, once again, formed in her eyes. Red eyes stared down at her unblinking. "You are my precious friend and honorary member of the Ishikari clan. Mend your heart, Uchiha Itachi because you are forgiven."

For what seemed like awhile, the two merely stared into each other's eyes. Then Itachi dipped his head. "Thank you," he whispered close to her ear. "Dry your tears, Mayu." The girl sniffed loudly as her grip on him increased. "It has been a long time. However, it is time to... Let. Me Go." She heard the blade impale her before she felt the pain that accompanied it. Her scream shook her mind.

The genjutsu shattered around her.

0-0

Jumping jellyfish! I exhausted myself writing this chapter. And the reason Mayu's so goddamn angry is still not out in the open yet. _Argh_! My brain hurts, and this is partially tumblr's fault.

Anyway, like I said, everything has not been revealed quite yet. Like what Mayu learned when she left the village. What happens to abominations? Shit of that nature. All that hasn't been explained yet, but I wanted to get this chapter out to let people know that I haven't given up on this story, and with the sequel to Team 7: Revolution! finally out, perhaps I'll gain inspiration from it and/or treat it like competition. Until next chapter, peace out holmes.


	38. Reckless Abandonment

Fingers twitched and eyebrows furrowed. Slowly, eyelids cracked open. Blue eyes stared up at the ceiling. The surroundings were incased in darkness, making it hard to make out anything. However, there was a single light source, a candle, which was efficient enough to draw conclusions. This place was not the Uchiha hideout. _"Stalactite…?"_ Where was this? Ishikari Mayu had awoken in some sort of cave. Shadows danced across the ceiling, prompting the girl to turn her head towards the light source. Next to the single candle, there was a hole in the wall—an exit. _"How did I get here?"_ Mayu shut her eyes rolled onto her stomach. She then pushed herself up into a sitting position. It was then that she realized that dirt hadn't been her cushion, but a tan blanket. Someone had taken her here. But the last thing she remembered was-

Groaning, Mayu reached up to clutch her head. Soreness that she had been used to feeling from her body was in her head. Not a headache, though. She felt it in her mind. She hadn't felt this type of ache since the first time she used her mind abilities. Another groan escaped her mouth as she squeezed her eyes shut. "I gave you some treatment." A voice called out from the darkness, causing Mayu's body to freeze. She looked towards the exit with narrowed eyes. That voice was familiar to her. "You weren't injured at all, though… Just unconscious."

"Show yourself!" Mayu demanded. With a smile, the owner of the voice stepped into view. The darker teen's lips parted in stunned surprise. "Y-You…" Her voice shook with disbelief. "You're supposed to be…"

"Incarcerated? Dead…?" Yasmine asked. She shrugged. "I guess I still have a use for Tobi-sama. I was saved twice by my family." The foreigner moved forward. Mayu subconsciously reared back as Yasmine sat down opposite of her. Blue eyes regarded her, puzzled and a bit wary. Brown eyes stared back at her. She kept her smile, but her eyes were indecipherable. "So… You must want to know why you're here, right?" Mayu sucked in a breath.

"Sasuke! Where's Sasuke?! No—is Itachi-"

"Yes." Yasmine's chin lowered and her smile wavered. "Itachi-nii… is dead. Sasuke isn't." Mayu felt her throat swell. She blinked several times, wanting to stop the tears. She didn't want to show the enemy her sadness. She didn't want to cry anymore. Her body, like so many times in the past, would betray her. She just knew it. A hacked out sob left her lips before Mayu could cover her mouth. That did little to halt it. Her shoulders trembled trying to keep the rest of her muffled sobs in. Why? She had already come to accept this. Knowing the day had been a long time coming, she had believed she had numbed herself properly. She had believed she had prepared. But… In the end, she realized that she couldn't. Not for this. "I… I'm sorry."

Mayu was surprised to hear a crack in the foreigner's voice. She focused on Yasmine again to see tears brimming, just waiting to overfill and leak out of her eyes. In her lap, her hands were tightly clasped together. Nails digging hard into her skin. Previous words that Yasmine had spoken drifted into her mind. _You've got your family, and I've got mine_, she had said. Along with _As much as I hate to admit it, you and I are alike, and our brother noticed that._ Mayu moved her hand from her mouth, staring at Yasmine through blurry eyes. Of course. She hadn't been the only one to lose him. The foreigner opened her mouth to speak, but her lips quivered and only a choked sob came.

In that moment, the two weren't enemies. They weren't fighters or tools. They weren't even strong. They were just two little girls who had lost someone they had claimed as an older brother. Uchiha Itachi was dead. And he wouldn't come back. No more paper fan for being a brat. No more pats on the head for a job well done. No more… him. Both Mayu and Yasmine suddenly burst, loud wails and tears. They threw their arms around each other, holding on desperately. Shaking and crying, they could not control it anymore. Sobs racked their bodies each time they attempted to calm themselves.

The prolonged mourning only ceased when their throats and eyes became raw. Even then, they didn't let each other go. Exhausted, so exhausted, they clung to one another. Mayu was the first to become calm enough to form a sentence, though it wasn't coherent. "It… It's going to be o-okay," she repeated once she swallowed. Though they were equipped with cracks and sniffles, she hoped her words were soothing enough. "He-He wouldn't want-want this of us…" She reared back, letting her arms fall away from Yasmine. The foreigner sniffed hard, drawing the snot back into her nose. Honestly, Mayu must have appeared similar because of the gross, hysterical sobbing. She wiped her own snot with the back of her left hand and wiped the tears with her right.

That's right. Itachi wouldn't want her to mourn him. He had wanted her to let go. Let _him_ go. Forgive him. Then forget him. That had always been his plan. "He… He… tol-told me…" Yasmine shivered almost violently, not bothering to wipe away her anguish. "His la-last words to me… He said that he was proud, but I… I should stop re-resisting." She shook her head. "I don't know what he means! What should I do?! I don't know what he meant!"

"… Calm down…" Mayu replied. She swallowed thickly again, sensing that Yasmine was going to become stricken with sobs again. "You will… You will figure it out…" The foreign teen reached up, furiously rubbing at her eyes. "Enough crying for now." She shut her eyes and breathed in deeply. "Never let them see you sweat," she murmured, barely aware that she had said it. Yasmine, however, heard it clearly.

"What did you say?" she asked, blinking.

"Ah, nothing. It's not important." The blue-eyed girl waved a dismissive hand. Truthfully, it had been a phrase she had learned from her other grandmother. Theresa had been a tough old woman, whom had instilled such a mantra in her head. Saying or thinking it was a way to suppress overwhelming emotion—to make sure no one else could see the vulnerable side 'if they weren't worthy.' Thinking about Ishikari Sheena's mother almost made her smile. "Anyway… since we're both calm now… How did you get away from the village before it was destroyed? Also, how did you get away from Deidara's detonation?"

"A retrieval specialist smuggled me out. Tobi-sama was carrying me when he escaped the blast," Yasmine replied. She cleared her throat, and then wiped the rest of the liquid from her face. "But that's not really important. I wasn't there for most of the fight between Sasuke and Itachi. I didn't see how it started, but I'm pretty sure Zetsu-sama did… The parts I was there for—it seemed pretty one-sided in my opinion. Zetsu-sama thought otherwise, but it definitely wasn't equal. Maybe if Itachi hadn't already been sick, it wouldn't have turned out this way…" Mayu repressed the gasp that threatened to come out. How sick had he been? Enough for him to not keep up with his younger brother? Or had Sasuke truly become so powerful? "As crazy as their battle got, in the end, Sasuke backed Itachi into a corner, sword about to… Well, Itachi actually managed to knock the sword away and take Sasuke down, hand on his throat." Yasmine squeezed her eyes shut. "I thought it was over at that point. Itachi really looked like he was about to take Sasuke's eyes. But Sasuke… He had a hidden weapon. He stabbed Itachi in the stomach as he hovered over him. He even twisted the blade. Zetsu-sama said I screamed. But I don't remember that."

"Then… that's when it happened? That's when he died?" Mayu inquired softly.

"No. Itachi reached up and-" Yasmine poked her own forehead with her index and middle finger. "He did that to Sasuke… Then he died. You recognize that gesture, right?"

"_Mm_." Mayu nodded, gaze falling to the floor. _"So at the very end, his façade cracked just a bit,"_ she thought. The girl frowned. "Then what?" Yasmine went on to explain that Sasuke had pushed his older brother's dead body away. Apparently, he had haphazardly looked around the decimated hideout. He had found her body and refused to speak to Zetsu when they had approached him. Clearly he had been exhausted, but he hadn't moved until the others—Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo—had been brought to him. Only after Juugo had taken Mayu's body did Sasuke finally collapse. The platoon had been brought to this Akatsuki base about an hour ago. "Where's Sasuke now?"

"I'll take you to him now if you're up to it."

Mayu nodded again before standing. Yasmine stood as well, and then led the way. As they walked, words were not exchange. It felt stiflingly awkward. Try as she might, Mayu could not focus on her surroundings. Her gaze continuously drifted to Yasmine's back. This girl—she had just cried with her. They had both been vulnerable at the same time. But that's all it had been, right? Friendship had been offered. And rejected. The circumstances were different now, but being friends—that wasn't going to happen. Mayu's eyes narrowed. She had already mourned her. There was nothing left. But to move on.

Yasmine suddenly stopped. She turned, facing Mayu, but her right arm extended, pointing out another hole in the wall. Another archway. Another room. "This is where he was left," she stated. "I will tell the others that you have woken up." She turned to go, but stopped. "This does not make us friends. I want to make that perfectly clear. I don't _need_ friends." Hearing her actually say it stung a bit. "I only need family. And I've already lost so many of them. We did not bond because of Itachi-nii's death."

"I know that."

"Good. Glad we're on the same page."

Yasmine left her then, but not before giving a smile, which had not reached her eyes. A sigh let Mayu's mouth, and then she faced the entrance. Drawing in a deep breath, she stepped forward. Like the room she had awakened in, this room only had one candle lit. It did get the job done, though. She saw Sasuke's form right away. Despite everything that had happened so far, a slight smile crossed her face. The girl walked forward, and then sat down next to the Uchiha. The rise and fall of his chest indicated that he was sleeping. However, she couldn't be sure. Sleep and unconsciousness were two difference states.

His appearance showed that he had been put through a struggle. Bruises. Cuts. Medical dress. His shirt and cloak were nowhere to be found. "Must've been one hell of a battle," Mayu muttered. Her hand reached over, fingers gingerly sliding a bit of his hair from his forehead. He visibly twitched, eyebrows furrowing. Sasuke shifted his head towards her, and then slowly opened his eyes. His gaze settled on her. Mayu tensed. For whatever reason, she felt nervous. "Hey," she spoke up. Sasuke blinked once. Then he moved to sit up. She did not stop him. Patiently, she waited for him to do the environmental checks.

"Hey," he repeated once satisfied. His dark eyes turned to her form. The corner of his lips tugged upward. Not quite a smirk. Not quite a smile either. "How long have I been out?"

"Not sure," Mayu replied. "I just got up myself." She managed a tight smile. "You won." Sasuke did not mirror her expression. Instead, he lowered his line of sight to his lap. He narrowed his eyes and did not speak again. "What's wrong?" For a time, he did not answer. Mayu chose only to wait.

"I don't… I thought I would feel differently," he finally admitted. The lifeless eyes of Uchiha Itachi flashed through his mind. Sasuke blinked again. His murdered clan—they would finally be at peace now. The murderer had been righteously killed in battle. "Most of my life has been spent getting stronger to defeat Itachi. I was strong. I was _stronger_. Even when he pulled a jutsu I've never seen before. Even when he ripped Orochimaru's seal from my body, I still overcame his power. By myself. I thought I would feel catharsis with him dead. I thought I would feel proud. But all I feel is… _numb_."

"Why do you think you feel like this?" Mayu questioned. "Did he say anything to you?" Her questions made him think of his brother's detached words cold demeanor. Brother…? No. That man had never been his brother.

"… Up to this point, I referred to him as my older brother," Sasuke stated. "But all I was to him… was a spare. He kept me alive for one reason, and that was to someday steal my eyes. He didn't feel anything for me or the Uchiha clan—just power. Even when he was dying on top of me, he only tried to get at my eyes. The man I once respected, the man I once feared, turned out to be nothing more than another greedy person." Mayu's hand came down on his. She squeezed, causing Sasuke to look at her. It was then he noticed the red in her eyes. She had been crying. Suddenly, he felt guilty. She hadn't known the truth at all. Her affection was still there for Uchiha Itachi. Saying all this in front of her, did she think him a monster? For killing her precious person, did she hate him now?

"You're disappointed," Mayu said at last. "Maybe somewhere in the back of your mind, you wanted him to show even a little bit of remorse for what he did since he shared your blood. But he didn't, and so you're disappointed." Was that it? Disappointment…? Maybe she was on to something. Mayu always had a knack for knowing how he felt. Even without her memories.

"Maybe that's it," Sasuke mumbled. "I wanted him to feel something… so _you_ could let him go. But Itachi ended up having a one-track mind." Mayu opened her mouth, but words failed her. She looked as though she might shed tears again. However, before he could attempt to console her, a voice caused them both to become alert.

"So you are both up, huh?" the unfamiliar voice had said. Sasuke sharply turned his eyes to the darkness. A man revealed himself, though an orange mask covered his identity. The mask was recognizable. That Akatsuki member. He didn't have any weapons. Shit. He should have questioned where they had been taken. "We've met before as enemies. But don't worry. We're not foes." His voice was strange. He hadn't paid too much attention to the masked man before in his encounter with Deidara, but he was positive that he hadn't had such a deep voice. Anyway, he hadn't saw this man before he passed out. Only that Yasmine girl and the plant man. "I brought you here so that I can tell you something important." Sasuke ignored him in favor of glancing at Mayu. Did she know the girl had somehow survived at that time?

"Something important…? We're not foes?" Mayu repeated in a questioning manner. Unexpectedly, she appeared amused. Derisively amused. "That has yet to be seen." Sasuke frowned. He could tell she would be bitter. Hopefully not towards him.

"I would hope you both think this is important," the man continued. "The information concerns Uchiha Itachi." Mayu's expression hardened. Sasuke remained neutral, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't interested. "_Ah_, have I gotten your attention now?"

"You're going to get more than my attention if you don't get to the point." Sasuke narrowed his eyes, half annoyed. The sooner this was over, the sooner he could calm Mayu down. The masked man only chuckled. He reached up to pull off his mask. Showing his face wouldn't put him at ease. No matter what, this man was Akatsuki. He was not to be trusted based on his face alone.

"Alright. I'll start with introducing myself," he continued, gripping the mask. "Much like you, I am a living, breathing Uchiha." Before Sasuke could scoff at the ludicrous of his words, half of his face had been revealed. Even in the dimness of the room, a Sharingan eye was clearly visible and staring hard back at him. His lips parted in disbelief. "I also know the truth about-"

Without his conscious permission, chakra pulled and surged through his network, forcing itself into his left eye. It was the feeling of his Sharingan activating. A liquid thicker than tears leaked from his eye and slid down his face. The man suddenly burst into flames—_black_ flames. The man was consumed instantly. Screaming, the darkness swallowed him whole. Then the searing pain came, shooting through his body and concentrating in his triggered eye. The young Uchiha hissed and squeezed his eye shut. "_NGH_!"

"Sasuke?! How did you do that?!" He felt Mayu's hand against his cheek. His open eye focused on her worried face. Slowly, the pain faded, and only discomfort remained. Soothingly, she pawed at his left cheek, wiping at the liquid. Had it been blood? What happened? Clearly that had been a jutsu Itachi had used on him. Amaterasu. Sasuke panted out, feeling sweat form. The chakra abruptly stopped pushing, causing his body to succumb to fatigue. His forehead smacked against the kunoichi's shoulder. "Y-You…" Her arms wrapped around, hands sliding up and down his back. He shut his right eye, almost completely relaxed. "You didn't do that."

"Then how… did it… happen? How could I… use… Itachi's jutsu?"

"He implanted it into you," the voice came again. The two teens looked to the shadows again, surprised to hear it. That hadn't killed him? An arm reached out to grab the fallen mask. Apparently not. Sasuke could hear the mask snap back in place, and then the man stepped out of the darkness. Just who was this guy? Struggling, the young Uchiha pushed himself away from Mayu. But it was she who moved into a protective-like position. Even sitting, she could still attack or defend. "Itachi, Itachi, Itachi… Even from the grave, you don't cease to amaze me." He chuckled again. "To go as far as to plan this situation…"

"What are you saying?" Sasuke found himself becoming more annoyed. "What do you mean by implant?"

"He equipped you with his jutsu as a last ditch effort to kill me… or at least keep me away from you," the man answered. "I assume he had it set up that Amaterasu would be triggered once you saw my Sharingan. Too bad it didn't work out the way he planned."

"I… I've got no idea what you're talking about," the Uchiha stated.

"Look, Itachi must have done _something_ to you before he died," the man grunted as if annoyed. Sasuke instinctively reached up and touched two fingers to his forehead. It was the same placed his older brother had touched him… right before the light faded from his eyes. "Somehow, at the last possible moment, Itachi transferred all his techniques into you." What the hell?! That didn't make any sense! Why in the world would Itachi give his power to him? _He_ was the one who wanted more power. By taking his eyes, Itachi would gain more power. Uchiha Itachi hated his younger brother. There was no doubt about that…right? "You still don't know, huh?" The man must have read his expression. "It was… to _protect_ you."

"Pro-Protect…?" Sasuke echoed. No… Uchiha Itachi threw away his humanity. Betraying his family, betraying his village—it was clear that he had lost all innocence. Anger and bitterness rose and churned within him. "What the _fuck_ are you saying?!" The snarl didn't seem to disturb the man, but Mayu did flinch beside him. "Is that supposed to be funny?! Get the fuck out of my sight before I kill you."

"_Haah_…" The man sighed heavily as though burdened with a heavy weight. "I see it's going to be difficult talking to you. I understand, though. A weirdo suddenly takes you in and starts telling you shocking things… However, what I speak is the truth. You, yourself, have questioned it for years. The one who helped Itachi that night. It was me—Uchiha Madara."

"Don't _**fuck with me**_!"

His rage had completely taken over. Pretty soon, he would not be able to listen to reason. However, this guy could know. This guy could reveal the truth. If Itachi truly had intended to kill this person to stop the truth from being told, then Madara must have known. Uchiha Itachi—he really hadn't wanted either of them to find out, had he? Itachi was not an instinctive kind of guy. Each move he made was precise and calculated beforehand. One could never truly know what he was thinking because his mind did not live in the present. Itachi had always thought of the future, never past or present. Mayu hands clamped down on Sasuke's shoulders, forcing him to look her way. He had activated his Sharingan in both eyes, but she could see his inner turmoil. The news, the possible revelation, was causing mental pain. She moved her palms, sliding them against his cheeks again and pressed her forehead against his. "Calm down," she told him. "You need to calm down now!"

"There's no way you believe him, right?!" Sasuke did not calm down, though. In fact, he sounded near hysteria. Was he about to have a panic attack? She could understand his reaction, though. He had been vengeful for so long. Like her, he had been affected by these sudden doubts. His mountain, which had been solid earth, had turned to glass. And the unexpected reveal, like a rock, smashed into it. "He tried… He tried so hard to kill me! All he wanted were my eyes! He didn't care about me! He never did!" He was borderline hyperventilating now. "I tried… I tried so hard…! For you! For _me_!" He coughed out, but continued even though his voice had become ragged. "B-But he didn't fe-feel _anything_!"

"Sasuke! Sasuke, listen to me! Breathe!" Mayu commanded. "Breathe with me! Breathe!" She exaggerated her breath, blowing on his lips so that he could follow along. The vulnerable Uchiha lowered his eyelids until they completely shut. His breathing evened out and indeed mirrored hers. They inhaled and exhaled for several moments before Sasuke opened his eyes again. They had shifted back to the familiar onyx. Though his eyes were clouded, his body had calmed down.

Seeing Sasuke like this reminded her so much of when he used to have nightmares. Back when she shared a body with Hinata, she had slept over numerous times and had seen him so scared and so shaken. She had vowed to herself that she would help him get over his nightmares. So ignorant she had been. But not anymore. Sasuke needed to hear this. He needed so have the doubts and know the truth. Swallowing hard, Mayu let her hands fall. She found his hands and squeezed reassuringly. "Mayu…" Sasuke shook his head. "I-"

"For now," she interrupted. "Let's listen. I know you're not the type to live with doubts. You haven't reached catharsis. Not yet. This guy might know some truth. He might not. But it's up to us to decide that. As heirs, it our responsibility to gain knowledge-" Her eyes narrowed. She bit the inside of her mouth, hoping the snarl wouldn't come out in her voice. "-And act accordingly for the future of our clans."

"Oh…? Spoken like a true clan head," Madara remarked.

He was ignored for the most part. Sasuke lifted his head. "Fine, get on with it," he said. His eyes shifted to the masked Uchiha. Mayu's hands remained on his. "Like she said, I'll judge your words and decide if I believe you."

"Excellent." The man made himself comfortable on a nearby wooden crate next to the candle. He crossed his arms and began. "In order to talk about Itachi, I have to go back to when the Leaf was founded. It's a long story, but I assure you it's all true." Neither teenager spoke, but he did have their full attention. "It all started eighty years ago… The world was in a constant state of war. Back then, ninja were nothing but individual clans acting as militia. Countries hired clans to fight for them. Among the clans, two were considered the strongest. One was our clan—the Uchiha clan. The other was known as the Senju clan. The Uchiha clan had exceptional chakra and the Sharingan. We were well-versed in battle—a warrior clan. My chakra was especially strong. Living this long is proof of that…"

"_I doubt that…"_ Sasuke thought, raising a skeptic eyebrow.

"Back then my life was just one long battle. I even killed my friend and brother to become more powerful," Madara continued. "Thanks to that, I gained the perfect Mangekyo and became the leader of the Uchiha clan."

Sasuke kept his expression as impassive as he could. However, inside he could help but feel the man in front of him was heartless. Killing his friend and brother for the sake of power? He could see himself doing the same. Itachi had been a different story, but Naruto… His best friend and rival—he wouldn't do that. Couldn't. This next of kin of his was extreme, but so close-minded. Two things, when mixed, only caused chaos.

"I used my powers time and time again against the Senju clan. It was inevitable that I would face the leader. Senju Hashirama, who would later become the First Hokage, was the leader. He was a man that I, myself, greatly admired. It wasn't just myself, however. All of the clans acknowledged his superiority. He was feared by most. The Uchiha and Senju clans were rivals. Whenever they moved, we moved. Whenever a country hired them, that country's enemies would hire us. The more we clashed, the more well-known I became."

"Wait…" Sasuke interrupted. "You took your brother's eyes for fame?!"

"Don't be naïve… I wanted the strength to protect the Uchiha clan. The more famous we became, the more enemies we had," Madara explained. "Sacrifices had to be more in order to defend against the Senju clan and any other clan that opposed us. My brother willingly offered his eyes to me." The older ninja visibly tensed. "But then… the Senju initiated a truce, and our clan agreed to it. Everyone, on both sides, was sick of the endless fighting. In the end, I was the only one who opposed the truce. My brother sacrificed himself for _nothing_! I couldn't help but think the Senju clan would eventually wipe out the Uchiha clan. However, I had no choice but to accept the truce as everyone in the clan had already agreed. Soon after, our ninja alliance made a pact with the Fire Country. This began the one village per country system you know today. Other countries began to emulate the same system. The fighting lessened quite a bit. For a time, there was peace. But then something happened that shook the world into chaos again."

"What happened?" Sasuke asked.

"There was a dispute over the one who would become the Hokage," Madara answered. "As you know, Hashirama became the First, but I realized that the Uchiha clan was quickly losing its supremacy. In order to protect Uchiha, I chose to oppose the Hokage. No one in the Uchiha clan went along with it. I was betrayed by my own people. They said that I was moved by my own desire for power, and that I have taken my brother's eyes to save my own life. What man would willingly harm his younger brother?! I only wanted to protect the Uchiha, that's all! And so I left the people who had betrayed me. I left the village. I became hell bent on revenge, so I challenged the Leaf… and was defeated at the place they now call _The Valley of the End_. I died there… or so everyone assumed—even the third person who was there believed me to be dead."

"Third…?" Sasuke repeated.

"Oh yes, there was a third person. He did not get involved with the fight. He only watched, waiting for the victor to rise," Madara went on. "He allied himself with the winner of our battle. He was, in fact, the leader of the Ishikari clan." Sasuke's eyes widened, and then shifted over to Mayu. She didn't seem too shocked at the news, though. Did she already know? Well, perhaps she did. The girl's memory had been tampered with, but she now knew of her clan. So it was possible that she knew the beginnings of her own clan. Hesitantly, the young Uchiha returned his attention to Madara. "This clan did not get involved in wars, which is why no one had ever heard of them before. Wanting to keep it that way, Hashirama snuck the small clan in the village and use their abilities for… backup, a last resort, if it came down to it. Only a select few knew of their existence. Their home was built from the powers of Hashirama, isolated from the village. The clan head agreed to such a position as it had been beneficial for them. The Hidden Leaf village knew peace, and all was good. The Second Hokage, as a sign of trust, gave the Uchiha a special position. The Leaf Military Police was formed, but this was only a ploy. This was so there would be a constant surveillance on the Uchiha and to keep them from the governing of the village. For added insurance, the Uchiha were moved, so the Ishikari clan could keep a watchful eye on them without being detected. The Uchiha clan became nothing more than the Senju's dogs, and the Ishikari became nothing more than guards. In the end, both clans were only following their Senju masters."

"Even dogs know when they're being watched," Sasuke commented, lip twitching in irritation. "The distance between the Uchiha clan and the Ishikari clan is not that wide."

"_Ah_… That is because, at the time, the Uchiha clan was still quite a distance away. Then the Nine-tailed beast came. The attack happened, and afterwards, the Uchiha clan was moved yet again, closer to the Ishikari clan, their guards," Madara stated. "But what does the Uchiha have to do with the Nine-tailed fox, you ask? Uchiha abilities are the only things capable of controlling the great beast. Knowing this, the leaders of the Leaf suspected that the clan was behind the attack sixteen years ago. Although it was really a natural disaster, the discrimination began. They had believed the Uchiha clan was plotting a rebellion. Because the Ishikari clan did not see it coming, the leaders believed that they had become useless with their observations, and so ANBU took the job of watching the Uchiha clan closely. In the aftermath of the attack, the Uchiha clan rebuilt, but was completely separated from the rest of the population. Only the Third voiced his dissent, yet his advisors and Danzo refused to listen to him."

"Danzo…" Sasuke murmured. He recalled his teammate, Sai, speaking of him, but it had only been once. The man was said to be the leader of a special team of ANBU, known as Root. Mayu tensed beside him, causing the younger Uchiha to take a glimpse. She had a look of fury on her. He hadn't seen that look since the last time Orochimaru had been mentioned in front of her. Danzo. The man had been responsible for the way Sai behaved, but that couldn't have warranted this reaction from her, could it?

"That discrimination birthed ill-will and… eventually the Uchiha clan planned a coup d'état. They planned to take over the village by force," Madara stated, triggering a reaction from Sasuke.

"What?!" he exclaimed.

Ignoring their outburst, Madara continued. "And so the higher-ups planted a spy within the Uchiha clan. That spy was your brother, Uchiha Itachi… and that is where his hell began." Sasuke could only stare in shock. "You were too young to know about the takeover, so you were kept in the dark. Your father, Fugaku, was the ringleader of the coup d'état."

_Her last entry says that she must speak with the Hokage because she feels that Uchiha Fugaku has betrayed them all._

The memory of Mayu and himself discovering the Ishikari residence flooded in his mind. Mayu had read the diary of Ishikari Mayuka, the clan head, her _mother_. So then it was true… "On your father's orders, Itachi entered the Black Ops to obtain information. However, the opposite happened and Itachi became a double agent, giving information to the Leaf about the Uchiha." Madara suddenly paused. His gaze turned in Mayu's direction. He let out a small chuckle. The kunoichi glared, not liking the action. "That is when Itachi met you, little Mayu. A meeting that was never supposed to happen caused the fast approach of the overthrow. While Itachi had found water in his own personal hell, Fugaku found an opportunity to strike."

"What… What's that's supposed to mean?" Mayu asked. Her voice trembled as though she already knew the answer. Sasuke frowned and maneuvered his hand out of hers, only to hold her hand instead. She relaxed a bit because of the intimate contact.

"After becoming aware of the place Itachi constantly went to, Fugaku formed an alliance with your mother, Ishikari Mayuka, the clan leader. He persuaded her that the Ishikari clan had been in the dark for far too long. She, being the ambitious woman that she was, agreed to the alliance. However, in order to secure a prominent place in the coming regime, she proposed marriage to unite the clans and seal the deal." Mayu's cut her eyes, visibly becoming angry. She must be thinking something along the lines of how Madara knew what her mother had been like. The young shinobi narrowed his eyes as well, waiting for the rest of the story. "Uchiha and Ishikari—the alliance would shake and destroy everything the Senju hoped to achieve. The village wouldn't have seen it coming… if it weren't for the double agent."

"Why would he betray Uchiha?" Sasuke inquired. "Itachi-"

"Saw war," Madara cut in. "I don't expect you to understand. You don't know what war is like. Itachi saw so many people die all before his fifth birthday. Too young to experience something like that. He was traumatized at a young age. He hated conflict and the village elders knew that. Using that to their advantage, they gave him a secret mission. He was ordered to put an end to the alliance and kill every single member of both clans." Madara looked away for a moment. His Sharingan then became visible through the single hole in the mask. Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut and lowered his chin. "I can't even begin to imagine his mental state. Destroy family. Or destroy peace. In the end, the decision was made. Knowing it was coming, Uchiha Itachi approached me. Admittedly, I was bitter towards both Senju and Uchiha, and looking for an opportunity for war. Itachi figured out that I still lived and proposed that I could have my revenge on Uchiha. But I was to leave the villagers alone. I took it, that offer. But I had nothing to do with the destruction of the Ishikari clan. Since it was a small clan in the first place, it was easy for Itachi to end the clan in mere minutes. That day, he buried his future in-laws in their own backyard. Then he moved on to his own clan… with my help."

He paused, allowing the information to sink in.

"Itachi became the sacrifice and fulfilled his duty to the village, but… he made two mistakes. He couldn't kill his own little brother. Nor could he slay his lover. Sasuke, ignorant little Sasuke, had been spared and given the goal of revenge so that he could get stronger. He wanted you to continue to believe that the Uchiha clan was something to be proud of," Madara continued. "And Mayu… He couldn't kill you either. Not his source of water in his personal hell. With an incredible jutsu, you were sent away, memories wiped completely. You weren't supposed to return. And even if you did, you weren't meant to know any of this. And in order to protect you both, Itachi begged the Hokage to never reveal anything to you. He left the village a traitor, knowing that he would someday die for his deeds by your hands. It was all a part of his plan. Driving you into a corner, releasing you from Orochimaru's hold… he did it all for his brother. He played the deceiver until the very end. He only thought of your wellbeing. Wanting you to be viewed as a hero for killing the traitor of Leaf, Itachi planned your fight to the very end. What a great older brother he is, ne?"

Mayu's shoulders shook. She had begun to remember everything about Itachi in that single moment. The times they shared, his smile, that damn fan of his… She could only imagine that Sasuke was doing the same since he was so silent. Itachi have never stopped loving and protecting them. Tears streamed down her face, but she wouldn't allow herself to wail again. This was not the time. The truth, however distorted, had been put out there. Sasuke knew. "I… Itachi…" she whimpered. Her eyes shut, attempting to stop the flow of tears. It's not what he wanted, but now that Sasuke knew the gist of it, there would be no turning back.

"Lies… You're lying," he murmured. "You have to be… By him, I almost died more than once… Itachi was… Itachi was evil. You have to be lying!" Mayu turned towards him. He had such a blank look on his face, even his stare was aimless. Lightly, she touched his cheek. It brought him back to reality. "Ma-Mayu…?"

"It's the truth," she confessed. "Everything Itachi did, he did it to keep us safe."

"How do you know that? There's no proof! He _has_ to be lying!"

"There is proof," Mayu stated. "Well, there was, and I found it." Sasuke's eyes expanded as the pieces fell into place. His jaw slackened, coming to the realization. "That's right. I got my memories back. Your spy did a hell of a good job." She licked her sudden dry lips. "On the mission to capture Itachi, Hinata said the trigger. Since then, I've known… This guy told the truth about Itachi's intentions. Not only that, but… before your fight, Itachi confirmed it with me. I made him tell me." Not with her ability, but in the end she had made him talk. He could never resist her for too long. Sasuke continued to stare at her, stunned silent. Finally, he reacted. First he blinked. Then he shuddered. With wide eyes, he shook his head and moved away. He continued to shake his head as he stood. "Sasuke…" Mayu reached for him, hoping to console him and explain a bit more, but the young Uchiha smacked her hand away.

"Don't touch me!" Mayu couldn't help the slight gasp that came forth. She couldn't recall a time where Sasuke had so harshly rejected her touch. Immediately, her arm lowered. "…! You… Yo-You let me… Knowing everything, yo-you…!" The shinobi reared back, and then left without another word.

"Damn it."

"_Ah_, it seems he couldn't handle the truth, but it seemed more shocked about you." The casual remark caused Mayu to glower. "I am interested on how you obtained the information, though."

"What does it matter to you now?" she asked, venom leaking in her voice. "You have what you wanted—Uchiha Sasuke. What business do you have with _me_?"

"Curiosity, I suppose. You see, your union with Uchiha Itachi was not the first time the two clans came together." Mayu remained quiet. She did raise a brow, though. This egged the masked man on. "The first time happened maybe two generations before you. They did not share the same friendship as you and Itachi, though. That Uchiha woman and the Ishikari head at the time fought each other every time they happened to meet. Their respective clans had no clue about their clashes. Their last clash ended with the two of them disappearing, without a trace, just like you. The Ishikari covered up the incident and a new clan head rose. The Uchiha paid no mind to the disappearance. The woman, though Uchiha, did not have the Sharingan. She had been of no concern. Many, if not all, believed she was just another unfortunate person."

"No one questioned it?" Mayu asked, humoring the man in front of her.

"Of course not. The Ishikari did not exist."

Mayu turned her gaze away from the man. The information he had just given her. She already knew. Her other father, Ishikari Chinotouri, told her of how he was the descendant of Ishikari Mitsuo. Whether it was an accident or not, both the clan head and the Uchiha woman—Asuka was her name—had been transported. They had forgotten everything, but eventually they married and began the Ishikari in the alternate world. Generations later, Asuka's advanced bloodline surfaced, which is why her other father, and his brothers, had the Sharingan. But this 'Madara' didn't know that. And he wouldn't know that.

"What I am so curious about is the place they were sent. You have traveled there, stayed for years, and then came back." He crossed his arms. "You know the answer, don't you?"

"I can't remember," Mayu lied. "And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you." She stood up then, frown on her face. "Why, you may ask. Because you seem like a person that will give knowledge to another person, twisting the truth and even lying. I don't trust you." His face, completely hidden, couldn't show a reaction, but his shoulders did. He tensed as though caught. "Oh? Well, look at that. You think you know _everything_? Big, bad Madara might. But you, Uchiha-san, don't know _shit_."

"What are you talking about?" He stood as well, but the action didn't bother the teen. Not in the least.

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about," Mayu retorted. "You want to know how I know, right? See, us Ishikari, we _love_ recording stuff, keeping track of our history, and educating future generations. Because of this, I know the identity of the third person that was there at the Valley of the End. That person wasn't a man. It was a woman. She wasn't a clan head, though. She was a disowned member of a family, looking for a way to return honorably. What better way to do that than to form an alliance with the strongest man in the world? So yeah, you were right about that part. But Uchiha Madara, the real Uchiha Madara, would have known my ancestor. Because even before the battle, Madara met her."

"You…"

"An outsider like you doesn't have the right to try to manipulate an Ishikari Master, especially with such twisted information." The man remained silent. "I don't mind if you try it with Sasuke. He'll make his own decisions in the end; he's always has. But me? With some insignificant information?" She lost her frown and took on an apathetic expression. "Don't play games with me, Uchiha-san. _I_ don't play fair anymore."

The tense silence that follow did little to deter her. She may have revealed information that could later be used against her. But she had to show dominance over this man with a bit of her knowledge. He had to perceive her as a threat _and_ an asset. Otherwise, she would be expendable. It was clear to her now that, whoever he may be, was the real leader of Akatsuki, pulling the strings from behind the curtain. Watching his puppets dance. Whoever he was, she despised him. But for now, she would let him carry out any plan he had of Sasuke. She had another goal in mind. Unfortunately, she might need this suspicious Uchiha in the future. Hopefully, he was thinking the same thing about her right now.

The masked Uchiha suddenly chuckled. It was as dark as night. "I see now," he said. "Itachi chose well, after all." Mayu narrowed her eyes. What did that mean? "I'm interested to how well you play the game." Was he trying to psych her out? Make her think he actually knew something else when he didn't? Or did he really know something that could affect her. Doubtful. She had already discovered the information that had struck her core and destroyed her dogma. It couldn't be done again. Still…

"_Fuck this guy,"_ Mayu thought, glaring.

0-0

She had felt the intensity of his eyes. Not even having to look, Mayu had been able to tell a hard stare had been aimed at her. His fierce stare—it had burned at her skin. It made her uneasy, and so she had left the room without checking his obvious injuries. Unfortunately, Sasuke had been doing this for a while now. On top of that, he wouldn't speak to her either. He and the other three—Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo had taken on the name Taka, hawk, and joined Akatsuki. They had even gone out on a mission for the organization. The details of the mission had not been discussed, and so Mayu had been out of the loop. Whenever eye contact had been made, that had been his reaction. After several days of this, it was becoming annoying. She had wanted to give him time to sort out his feelings. But judging from his cold attitude towards her, he had not been doing that. _"This is ridiculous!"_ Mayu thought. Not knowing what was going on with him was driving her insane. They had to settle things _now_. _"Whether he wants to or not!"_

"Hey, Mayu~!" The playful tone in Karin's voice was not lost to her ears. Internally, the dark-haired kunoichi scowled. She did not need this right now. The redhead had noticed the obvious tension between them, and made it her sworn duty to keep bringing it up in a haughty manner. Karin placed her hands on her hips, appearing smug. "He seems to be a lot grumpier than usual," she remarked. Mayu forced herself to keep her expression blank as she turned to face her. "Sasuke sending you away with just one look—I wonder what you did to piss him off…!"

"Karin, if you have something to say, then just say it," Mayu responded, eyebrow twitching. The redhead didn't bat an eyelash.

"As close as you were, he didn't even let you tend to his injuries," she continued. "You know he visits me by himself to see if I'm alright." Mayu forced a smile and slowly breathed through her nose. Karin didn't seem to notice the strain. "From what I hear, you two haven't spoken since Itachi died. Could he like me more than you now?"

"Karin, that is highly unlikely," Mayu retorted. "Even if Sasuke stopped liking me, you would never have his affections." The smug look finally vanished and in its place she wore a glower. "I suggest you shut your mouth about things you know nothing about. You look quite foolish." Karin sputtered out something, but Mayu had already moved past her. "Don't step to me with that bullshit again."

She left, barely understanding the hisses that were directed at her. Ooh, she must have really pissed Karin off. Mayu must have seemed confident. Really, she wasn't. Right now, she didn't know what Sasuke was thinking. He had closed himself off to her. She could only hope his feelings toward her remained relatively the same. Mayu's gaze lowered to the floor as she walked. On some level, Sasuke must blame her with how things turned out. Hell, she blamed herself. If she had ignored Itachi's wishes, maybe… he would still be here. And maybe Sasuke wouldn't be avoiding her like he was.

Mayu came to a stop. She stared at the entrance to Sasuke's designated room for a full minute. She clenched her fists at her sides, and then proceeded in. The other members of Akatsuki had left whilst Taka had been out on the mission. Yasmine, Kisame, Tobi, Hidan, and Zetsu had left, so she could speak freely with him. Expectedly, Sasuke was sitting, wrapping bandage around his torso. He must have known she stood there, but he made no move to greet her. Maybe she should wait until he finished. Maybe she should give him more time. Maybe it was best if she let him come to her. _Nah_.

Steeling herself, the kunoichi walked forward and dropped down next to him. Still he didn't acknowledge her presence. "How long are you planning on doing this?" Mayu asked. "Are you still not calm?"

"Calm…?" He scoffed. Well, it was something. "My brother's dead. Calm is not something I can reach." Mayu held in her wince. She had been afraid of this. He hadn't been thinking logically about any of this. His emotions had gotten the better of him, overriding everything else. The kunoichi swallowed hard. She then boldly grabbed his hand, forcing him to stop wrapping himself. Finally, he shifted his dark eyes to her. His glare caused inner shivers. Firmly, she squeezed his hand.

"I know you're mad at me for withholding crucial information about Itachi, but it had to be done."

He yanked his hand away from her grasp. "Why?" he asked. "Why did it have to be done?" Mayu pressed her lips into a thin line, but Sasuke did not end his questions. "Why did Itachi have to die? Why did you let me go on hating him? You had plenty of times to tell me, plenty of chances, but why did you keep it secret until the end?"

"… That is what he wanted," Mayu answered. "As much as I hated it, I promised him that I wouldn't tell you anything. Only confirm if the information ever came across you."

"So you were willing to keep it secret. What if Madara hadn't said anything? You would have continued to-"

"It was his last request of me," Mayu cut in. "As his fiancée, I had no choice. He knew that." Sasuke sucked in a shuddering breath. "You think I wanted him to die? I _didn't_. He was _my_ brother, too! Why should you be the only one to mourn him?!" To her surprise, the Uchiha completely turned away from her. He stood up, facing away. Almost as if to distract, he began fiddling with a shirt that had been left on the crate. She watched him, confused by his behavior. Then it came to her. Mayu's jaw dropped. "You didn't… You _haven't_ mourned him yet!" Of course! It made sense now. He was emotionally backed up. "Sasuke!" The kunoichi stood up. "Why haven't you cried?! You need to-"

"What's the _**fucking point**_?! In feeling anything at all?!" he snarled. His rage was further emphasized by the motion of him throwing his shirt down. "It's not going to bring him back! It's not going to change anything! I don't need mourn his death! I don't _want_ to!"

"Sasuke," Mayu began, but then snapped her mouth close. He needed to do this. He needed to get out his words. If shouting was the only way then so be it.

"You don't get it! I _hated_ him! Hated!" Sasuke continued. "I woke up hating him! I fell asleep hating him! I hated him in my nightmares. I saw his face every time I faced an opponent and I _hated_! Until you, my mind didn't know peace. Until you… All. I. _Had…_ was hatred! Hatred for a man who apparently _loved me to death_. And I killed him. _We_ killed him! So tell me…! What the _fuck_ am I supposed to feel?! Because I honestly don't know!"

Itachi… His death and the truth was breaking Sasuke. Perhaps Itachi had been right to keep everything from his younger brother. If he foresaw this reaction, Mayu could understand his reasoning a bit more. "You're obviously upset and that's confusing you, Sasuke. So the question is… What's _making_ you upset?" she prodded. "Is it me?" She braced herself for his answer, but he only shook his head. "Who then? Itachi?"

"No! I… I don't know!" Sasuke shook his head again. His fingers and thumb of his right hand pressed hard against his forehead. Mayu continued to fire suggestions at him, knowing that he would reach his breaking point soon and his feelings would burst out. Only then could he release. She brought up so many things. The massacre, the elders, herself and the fact that she basically lied to him, Itachi's intentions—nothing would be too sacred. Then she told him to answer her, switching from demanding and requesting at a rapid pace. "EVERYTHING!" Sasuke screamed out. Mayu bit her lip, willing herself not to step away. His chakra had flexed and lashed out. "Everything is just so fucked up! My whole life has been nothing but lies and hatred! I don't know what to _do_ anymore! I… I don't know what to believe anymore…"

"I know one thing you can believe in," Mayu murmured. She moved, slipping her arms around him. He only stood there, and so she saw it as a sign she could continue. Her neck stretched, allowing her to rest her chin on his shoulder. "You don't have to believe me, but believe in Itachi's love for you." She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes, catching tears before they fell. She hadn't realized she had been on the brink of crying. But she couldn't cry now. She had to be strong. For Sasuke. This was his time. "Remember and believe in Itachi. He loved you more than anything. He sacrificed himself and died just for you. You are his brother, his precious little brother. Despite what anyone says, you _know_ him. Past all the hatred, deep down, you loved him just as much. Believe in that. _Mm_?"

Sasuke suddenly went limp. Almost his entire weight came down on Mayu. Not expecting it, she dropped down, knees slamming against the ground. She clenched her teeth, forcing herself not to cringe. His hands pressed against her back before his fingers curled. He gripped her shirt and buried his face between her neck and shoulder. She could hear his teeth grinding. His breathing became awkward and jerky, and his body nearly convulsed with the strain. Mayu rubbed his back in a soothing manner, silently urging him to release his pent up emotion. He did. She felt the wetness on her skin first. Then she heard the whine vibrate in his throat before it came out as a long, choppy and muffled howl. Sasuke's embrace tightened just a bit more.

It came pouring out of him. The bitterness, the anger, the sadness, the hate and frustration—the negative emotions swelled and gushed out. A residue would surely be left behind, but what mattered is most of it could be released. The two stayed that way, just holding onto each other what seemed like hours. Though uncomfortable, Mayu would continue to hold this position for as long as Sasuke needed. Gradually, his weeping dwindled to whimpers; then his whimpers faded, leaving him only to sniffle. The tremors had left his body as well. Then the room became quiet. Not even their soft breathing disturbed the silence. A few more minutes passed before Sasuke's grip slackened.

"Mayu…" he whispered. Slowly he slid his hands away from her back, only to cup her cheeks. He stared into her eyes, expression unreadable. His thumbs swiped at her cheeks. "Where would I be… without you?" Mayu attempted to smile.

"Probably a whole lot better off," she joked. Sasuke snorted, but both corners of his lips lifted. It was something—a start. He kissed her then. Tender and lingering, it filled her with the hope that she was forgiven. _Thank you_, it said. He opened his eyes and his head moved back, locking his gaze with hers. "I'm… I'm sorry." Mayu felt the need to say it out loud. She reached up, fingers brushing against his wet cheeks. Suddenly, his gentle touch of his palms against her cheeks turned firm. Not painful, but it was obvious he wanted to get a point across.

"Don't you _ever_-" Sasuke croaked. Mayu pursed her lips together, awaiting harsh words. "-suffer without me." Stunned, she could only stare back. She had not been expecting him to- "Your burdens are mine. My burdens are yours. We _share_ them. Don't you ever feel you have to hold back in front of me again." Before she knew it, tears welled again, and then spilled over. His right hand moved, fingers entangling in her dark hair. His left hand came around and held the small of her back. He pushed her head, letting her cry on his shoulder. Sasuke lowered himself to the ground, taking Mayu with him. This whole time she had been struggling, and he had noticed that. He continued to whisper in a soothing manner, but she couldn't hope to recognize words at the moment. Still, the low rumble of his voice had been more than enough to mollify her sobs. Side by side, arms around one another, and legs intertwined, the two eventually fell asleep.

It wasn't until much later, when the light had long since flickered out, did Sasuke rouse from slumber. Tiredly, he scanned the dark cavern. Nothing was amiss. Satisfied, he shifted his gaze down. Mayu slept soundly, snuggled so close. He watched her sleeping face, contemplating. Admittedly… He had been angry with her. So angry and so bitter towards her. After he had learned the truth, the very thought of her sent him spiraling down, crashing into fury. He hadn't been able to think straight. Hadn't been able to focus. It had been a wonder how he communicated with anyone. Thinking back, it had made several rash, and probably stupid, decisions in her absence. But what could he have done? Speaking with her so soon—he hadn't been sure if he could control his ire. He might have said something that would have completely severed ties. Even though he had been so furious, he subconsciously hadn't wanted that.

Luckily, Mayu had known to keep her distance. She _always_ knew. Calming him down, pulling him up, bringing him back—regarding him, Ishikari Mayu always knew what to do and when to do it. When she had finally come to him, his reactions to her had been mild compared the first couple of days. The perfect time for a confrontation. She had provoked him and had gotten him to open up. In the back of his mind, Sasuke had realized her intention. It had been at that moment of release that he realized. He had missed her. He had needed her. He had fallen for her all over again. She had always been willing to hold onto him in his moments of vulnerability. She had always been the one to help him through whatever crap life decided to throw at him.

Could she say the same about him, though? Had he been the only selfish one this whole time? All those concerns had gone through his head as he let himself go on top of her. And only when she had crumbled against him did he realize that, yes, he had been selfish. Mayu had known this turmoil long before he had, and what's worse, felt she had to keep it within herself. Well, he meant what he had told her. She didn't have to hide anything from him anymore. She wouldn't be the only one to shoulder her—_their_—problems.

Sighing, Sasuke slid his hand up her back, fingers tickling her spine. The movement disturbed her sleep and pretty soon her eyes cracked open. She merely stared at him for a time before she sighed through her nose. "Morning already…?" Mayu mumbled.

"Don't know," he replied. A moment or two went by. "Mayu…"

"Sasuke…" she said at the same time. She bit her lip. "Your breath _really_ stinks. Could you let me go?" Faster than necessary, Sasuke flicked the girl's forehead. "_OW_!" Her screech accompanied her hands flying up to nurse her abused skin. The Uchiha turned over on his back and crossed his arms, just a bit annoyed. He shut his eyes, letting a slight scowl replace his neutral expression. He heard her shift, yawn, and then stand. He also heard the wince, when her knee collided with the corner of the crate, no matter how much she tried to hide it. Suddenly, the room became just a bit warmer. Sasuke opened one eye, focusing on Mayu. She had lit a candle, and was in the middle of lighting the second. "I haven't slept like that well in ages," she remarked. Now that she mentioned it, he couldn't agree more. "So…" Facing him, she scratched at her cheek. "I have a lot of things to tell you. Like you said, we… should share…"

"Do it," Sasuke said, sitting up. He faced her as she crawled over to him. With her legs crossed, she sat opposite of him. He chose to mirror her position, so their knees nearly touched. "Tell me."

Mayu sucked in a breath, and then let it out. "Before that, I want to make some things clear," she whispered. Then she cleared her throat before speaking clearly. "First off, that Uchiha we met—not Madara." He had already figured that, but nodded anyway. "He told you the gist of the truth, but a couple of things were wrong." She then went through what 'Madara' had told them, correcting what needed to be. It made sense now. That man seemed too disassociated from the retelling of 'his' story.

"So he was given misinformation?" Sasuke wondered out loud.

"What I want to know is why he wants you to believe that he's Madara," Mayu muttered. "But for now, let's just agree not to trust him." He nodded his head in agreement. Even if the man did have the Sharingan, he had admitted to slaughtering his clansmen. He wouldn't forget that no matter what. "Anyway, back to the things I wanted to share… I told you, and had always believed, that your father gave the order to kill my family. Based on my mother's diary and the warped dreams I had when I didn't know any better, I just assumed it had been Uchiha Fugaku. Itachi later confirmed that the eradication of my family was just another part of his mission to end the coup before it started. So… your theory that it had been Ishikari that helped with the massacre was wrong." Sasuke nodded. He had already come to that conclusion. "You told me to be your spy to confirm your theory, but I ended up finding out about the order and the reason behind it." She shook her head. "I remember freaking out and stressing over how I was going to break the news to you. For months, I annoyed Hinata with my behavior."

"Did you… Did you tell her?" Sasuke questioned.

"No way! Telling her or Naruto—what would they have thought of the village if I did? The leaders of the village they love had condoned genocide, and then covered up the reason behind it with lies. I couldn't tell them that. Like I said, I didn't know how I was going to tell you… _if_ I was going to." Mayu shrugged. "But… I had unknowingly used the Ishikari forbidden jutsu on myself."

"Putting you back in your real body, and wiping your mind of all the memories and information you gathered while you shared Hinata's body," Sasuke finished. Mayu nodded solemnly. To be honest, he still didn't know how to handle that information. He still didn't know what he actually intended to do with it. For now, it was best to not dwell. He had already royally screwed up in retaliation, and he was absolutely _dreading_ when the time came to tell Mayu. "Okay… so that is my burden. What's yours? You found something out about your own clan during our time apart, didn't you?" The change, though subtle, Sasuke had recognized it. She had seemed more… _hardened_ when they had unexpectedly crossed paths. She must have discovered something groundbreaking about her own clan.

"Yeah…" Her eyes averted to a corner of the room, and then returned to him. "There's a secret place where Ishikari go in order to hone their skills, become masters of their abilities, and learn the history—the origins of the family. There was so much to take in since Ishikari does record everything. Even the trivial details. That's where I was when I left the village. That is where I learned… what I am." Sasuke chose to remain silent. If he asked questions now, she would become distracted and maybe not tell him all she wanted to get off her chest. "I'm not the first to be the product of the atavism that runs in my family. It ranges back so far, but all of us were known as _abominations_. It was unnatural the things we could do without use of charka, and so once the indicator of the atavism surfaced in one of us, we were… killed."

"What?!" Sasuke had tried to remain impartial. Really, he did. But that had been too surprising. The exclamation had bubbled and burst from his lips before he could stop it. Mayu gave a cynical smile and nodded.

"Brutal, I know, but that's how things were. Besides, the percentage of a child having the atavism is less than five," she explained. How morbid… However, what had been strange had been the fact that Mayu seemed unconcerned with her predecessors. Especially since it could've been her. Sasuke chose not to comment, though. "It wasn't until Ishikari Noriko that things changed. Her parents, like so many others discovered the indicator of the atavism. But they were either too strong or too weak to kill their child. They, instead, broke away from the family and ran away with her. I won't bore you with the details, but Noriko eventually allied herself with the Leaf village. Because of this, the Ishikari was introduced to the Leaf, albeit discretely. Noriko had secured…" She stopped, searching for the right word. "Stable protection. Despite her status as an abomination, the rest of her family trickled into the village, becoming an official clan and celebrating her feat. Since Noriko, the atavism was something to silently hope for because it was through her powers the First saw value in her. They even named her _head_ of the clan." A wry chuckle seemed to reverberate in her chest. "Secretly, Ishikari was used in the wars, Noriko especially. But she was pushed too hard and died young."

"Pushed too hard…?" Sasuke repeated.

"Yes. There was downside to using the abilities without chakra. The mind starts to deteriorate with prolonged use. Not knowing the effects until the end, Noriko used it haphazardly and continuously for the sake of the village and eventually had a hemorrhage in her brain."

"That could happen to you?"

"No… Well, not at a young age," Mayu murmured. "An ancestor of the Yamanaka clan found a way to slow the process, which benefited the both of them. The same had been happening to her. But it ended up being too late."

"The Yamanaka clan knew about yours? Wait… From what you told me, that means this ancestor of Yamanaka was an abomination as well."

"Correct. Only she didn't use her abilities as much. They were able to put a mental piece of themselves in each other. I was told this was to provide an impenetrable barrier against the Mind Transfer Jutsu—whether it be Ishikari or Yamanaka. That's true, but the original purpose is to keep the deteriorating process at bay." Mayu pressed a finger to her temple. "I've got a piece of Ino in me, so you don't have to worry." Sasuke eyebrows furrowed.

"Ino… has similar abilities to you. She's the abomination of her clan."

"Ino refers to call it a mental mutation, but yeah. We're safe for the time being." Sasuke still didn't like the sound of it, but kept quiet. "Anyway, Noriko did end up dying. Eventually, Mitsuo was born. He was the next abomination of our clan. I met him through Ino and he taught me control, but I didn't learn of his _life_ until last month. His abilities… were abused. Mitsuo wanted nothing more than to serve his village at a very young age. The clan was a secret, though. He couldn't enlist in the Academy. _Danzo_-" Here, she spit the name like acid. "-took advantage of his need and took him under his wing. Noriko may have been pushed hard, but she chose to do it. Mitsuo had been molded into a tool, losing himself and only doing Danzo's dirty work. At the beginning of the Third's reign, Danzo began ROOT. It was Mitsuo's power that contributed to the secret organization. His methods were extreme and cruel. Mitsuo eventually became nothing more than an experiment because of his abilities. Danzo's the one that imposed restrictions on the Ishikari clan, because once he understood how the atavism worked, he wanted to keep track a close eye on the children of the clan. It would be easy if there were so few of us. I was to be his next tool. And I didn't have a clue."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked tentatively.

"I'm not sure about the Yamanaka clan, but with my clan, there's an indicator. When I was five or six, I used the Mind Transfer Jutsu on my father. Well, when I went back to my body, I took on his skin, hair, and eyes. You've seen it."

"With Sakura…" He could also remember her colors shifting back when they were kids. He had always wondered about that ability. Mayu nodded.

"Yeah… but that's something unique to me, and the other abominations. If you could do this, then eventually you would end up with the atavism. I didn't know that until recently. I thought it was something all Ishikari could do. But my mother knew better and hid it from me. And she made me believe that I was just like everyone else. She didn't want her baby to disappear. So when the time came, to Danzo, I was just a normal child. He could care less about me. Then I met Itachi, and everything changed. I used my unique ability on him and my mother realized that it was only a matter of time before Danzo found out. She agreed to the alliance with your father so that I would continue to be protected. There was no other reason behind it for her—just me. My mother sacrificed herself, her clan, just for me. The one responsible for the outcome of our tragedies—my mother, Itachi, maybe even the coup itself—I can't help but think it's because of Danzo."

Sasuke remained quiet, waiting for her to continue. However, she didn't speak again. Her gaze had shifted to her lap. Narrowing his eyes, the young Uchiha leaned closer to her. With his movement, their knees touched. Mayu lifted her chin, and spoke not a word. He realized that she was waiting for _his_ response. Undoubtedly, it was a lot to take in. "Okay. So we both know the truth, but you've had more time to think about it," Sasuke began. "What do _you_ want to do with this information?"

"What I want… is to see the world change so that there's no more Danzos. Not more Itachis. No more sacrifices. Either this world changes-" Her expression turned downright murderous. "-or I'll make sure it _**fucking burns**_!" Sasuke shivered. He hadn't known what to expect, but cold fury had not been an anticipated reaction. Not from her. Then again, she, too, had learned and clearly it had distorted everything she had ever believed in.

Was it strange he found her incredibly irresistible right now?

Pushing down his sudden aroused senses, Sasuke cleared his throat. "Then what's the next move?" he asked. Mayu immediately wanted to know what had transpired after he received the 'bastardized version of the truth' from 'the wannabe Madara.' And so he told her. Everything. From his emotionally driven declaration of crushing the Leaf village to attacking and delivering the host of the Eight-tailed beast to the masked man, how Itachi's jutsu had helped in the fight, how his eyes were already feeling the strain. Even his recalling of activating his Sharingan for the first time and seeing his older brother crying on that fateful night. Not to mention the last words Uchiha Itachi had said—he told her everything. Mayu had waited patiently and quietly, completely nonjudgmental. Once he had finished, she shut her eyes, thinking. Sasuke gave her a minute to gather her thoughts. "What are we going to do to change the world?"

And he would do it. Because Mayu had been absolutely right. He would not bring future Uchiha into a world like this. He refused to have any of his descendants have a stigma attached them either. He knew Mayu felt the same despite how she labeled herself as an abomination. She sucked in a breath, and then released it slowly through her nose. Upon opening her eyes, Sasuke found that his heart lurched. With her piercing blue eyes she had him pinned. She leaned forward and opened her mouth.

"This is what we're going to do…"

0-0


	39. With Bated Breath

Great. Just great. Abandoned and shackled. He had been like this for a while now. Hours, maybe? At the mercy of the enemy had not been something he had expected. If he were completely honest, he had not expected to be taken at all. After being discovered, most spies were killed instantly. Not him. It was strange. The way the enemy had brutally and uncaringly taken out his comrade, many would think all who opposed him would meet the end of his blade. Instead, the one who had defeated Killer B had not taken the kill. He had to wonder why. Didn't make sense. Well, he supposed either way, he wouldn't be telling anyone regarding what he saw.

He had tried numerous times to escape his binding. But that proved to be futile. Being chained to an iron pipe was a hurdle he couldn't overcome. The only thing he could do now is wait. For the interrogation or the end. Or both. With his luck, it was probably both. He suddenly shivered, feeling a slight breeze. Though it had been hours, his clothes were still damp from the water surrounding this hideout. If they were planning on keeping him alive, couldn't they have given a blanket? That'd be nice right about now. Wait… _"A breeze…? From what?"_ He opened his eyes, though it didn't do him any good. It was pitch black and his sunglasses didn't help that fact. But he knew there weren't any windows around. This place was underground, sealed up tight. At least his prison was, anyway.

Shades of black abruptly shifted to grey, causing him to blink several times. The room had been illuminated, most likely artificial because there was no sudden warmth. It took time for his eyes to adjust behind his sunglasses. Finally, he made out a figure right in front of him. He nearly gapped at the sight. What a beautiful sight it was. _"I'm saved…!"_ he thought. There was a dark-skinned young girl in front of him. Though she didn't wear her headband, clearly she was a kunoichi. Only a ninja would be here, and with her dark skin she must have hailed from the Cloud. His partner must have feared the worse and returned back home to inform the Raikage of his capture. Thankfully someone had reached him. The enemy must had just left him here to die then.

His sunglasses were removed, allowing him to see the girl clearly. She was young indeed, probably no older than eighteen. She, in a crouched position, wrapped her arms around her bent legs. His rescuer was sure acting strange. Maybe she was a medic and she was examining him from head to toe? He supposed that made sense. He stared at her, wishing she could finish up and release his wrists. They were starting to itch. And where was the rest of her platoon? Where was his partner? Surely he would have been a part of the mission to retrieve him, right? "What's your name?" The medic finally spoke, sharp blue eyes narrowing. Strange question, but he answered regardless.

"Jay," he blurted. "Where are the others? Is the enemy gone?"

"Afraid not, Jay-san," she replied, standing to her full height. "I don't have much time, so I need you to listen carefully. Tell me everything you saw. You saw the fight, right? Tell me everything and leave nothing out." Oh… Information, then…? His chances of survival had dwindled to nothing. As a medic, she must have realized something was wrong with him. The enemy had done something and now his life... He might not make it out alive. Why else would she ask? Anyway, she was right. The information needed to be passed on before he died. And so he told her everything. Even about his capture. And the premature death of one of his lizards. He got a bit choked up mentioning that part. "Amazing…" she breathed.

"Yes, it is surprising to hear that Bee was defeated," Jay agreed with a nod. "But it's true."

"No, not that—a jinchuuriki in a symbiotic relationship. Didn't know it was possible until now," she remarked.

"What? How do you _not_-" Jay stopped himself. His eyes went wide in realization. She wasn't a medic nin. Hell, she probably wasn't even of the Cloud village! But her dark skin—didn't that mean she was, at least, from the Land of Lighting? Damn… He had assumed too much. One of his biggest problems, admittedly. Who knew how he had managed to maintain his ninja status? "You… You're not a comrade?"

"No," she answered with a simple shrug. Crap. Crap. Crap! If she wasn't a comrade, then she had to be the enemy! He had blurted—and rambled—to someone in cahoots with the enemy. If he made it out of this, he would never live this down. Might as well just die now. "But don't worry. You won't be harmed…" Her hand lightly touched his temple. When she pulled away, her fingertips were red. Huh. He hadn't even realized. "I apologize for the inconvenience, Jay-san. Sasuke was still a bit emotional when Karin alerted us to your presence. You kinda interrupted. So sorry about the knock on the head."

"S-Sasuke?" he repeated.

"Uchiha Sasuke, yes—that's his name. You'd best remember it. He's the one who defeated the Cloud village's jinchuuriki. He's the one that will shake this world." The girl leaned forward, hands on her knees. For the first time, he saw her eyes clearly. Young, though she may be, she had the eyes of a person who had lost a lot. And a person who refused to lose anymore. Jay swallowed hard. So much conviction… Just what type of person was this Uchiha Sasuke? "Jay-san, you may want to remember something else." Her face morphed and hardened. Jay was man enough to admit that his back quivered at the sight. The pure loathing on her face damn near rivaled the Raikage when he was in one of his moods.

"Re… Remember what exactly?"

"The embers have been fanned. From the ashes, Ishikari rises again." Then her neutral expression came back as though she hadn't been attempting to win an award for looking like fury personified. "Again, I apologize for the inconvenience. But I have to get going now. You take care of yourself, Jay-san." Without another word, the young girl walked away. The iron door slammed shut behind her. Jay found himself blinking. The behavior of the enemy had been strange from the start. But her…? She seemed to be on a whole other level of strange.

"… But Ishikari…?" he muttered. _"I don't recognize it, but… there's this nagging feeling at the back of my head. Raikage should know everything… if I don't die of exposure first."_

0-0

"_Ow! Ow! Ow_! SAI! You're not even trying to be careful!"

The pale shinobi shut his eyes for a moment, deciding to ignore the complaints from his teammate. He had long since requested that someone look at Naruto's injuries. Yet he had only denied treatment. The injuries had been inflicted because of Uchiha Sasuke. That Cloud kunoichi had been brutal. Remaining silent, Sai finished rewrapping the cloth around his teammate. With a silent sigh, he returned to his sitting position beside Naruto. He lowered his gaze to the ground. To be honest, he couldn't understand any of this. "Di… No, Naruto…"

"Eh…? What?"

"I…" For some reason, he swallowed hard. "I miss them. Torisuke and Queen. I miss them, and I can't understand their intentions."

"Have you _ever_ been able to understand their intentions?" Naruto asked. Sai lifted his chin, slightly narrowing his eyes at the blond.

"Unlike you, Sasuke and Mayu are beings of logic-"

"HEY!"

"-so I cannot understand what drives their actions as of late," Sai continued as though Naruto hadn't just screamed in his face. "I understand that Sasuke had felt the need to end Uchiha Itachi's life. I understand why Mayu denied returning when they were called upon. They felt the need to face the man who had basically destroyed the life they knew. But after he died, they should have returned. Returned as heroes, even. It's the only logical thing they could have done, and yet they have not returned."

"Yeah…" Naruto lowered his head. "It's been almost two weeks since the mission failed to bring them back. I still can't believe Danzo made them both missing-nin! Are you sure-"

"As I've said, I am physically incapable of talking about him," Sai interrupted, knowing it was coming. The blond merely pouted. "There hadn't been any indication that they would join the enemy and even attack a ninja of the Cloud village. Even though those two only mentioned Sasuke, surely Mayu wouldn't be left behind by him. It's only logical to assume that Mayu knows of Sasuke's actions, and still remains by his side. Why? What happened after that man's death that makes them behave in such an ill manner?"

"I… don't understand either," Naruto admitted. "Since the beginning, Sasuke's been fueled by his hatred against his brother. I thought when he'd gotten his revenge, everything would be better. He would come home and-" He shook his head. "I know the feeling of revenge now. I know now how he felt when it came to his clan and avenging them. I know what it's like to have rage inside, but Sasuke's still so far away. I don't understand him anymore. A criminal—the world thinks he's just another criminal. Why didn't he just come home?!"

The two teammates sat in silence for a moment. It was clear that none of the news made sense. They knew their teammates more than anyone, but now they felt just as ignorant as any other. Their mirrored frowns reflected thoughts of their missing teammates. The two appeared in their minds, ghosts of a smile on their faces. However, their image faded to black. Those two… Sasuke. Mayu. Where were they and what could they possibly be thinking?

"We can't answer that with just sitting around!" Naruto suddenly erupted. "I can't let anything happen to them! My best friends are out there—probably don't even realize they've been labeled as missing ninja! We have to get to them!"

"Na… Naruto…" Sai mumbled. The blond clamped a hand down on his shoulder. Dark eyes stared at the hand first, and then drifted back to determined blue eyes.

"You and me—let's go get our friends, no! Let's go get our _family_ back! They need us now more than ever!"

"You're not going anywhere without me."

The familiar voice caused the two shinobi to look towards the flap in the tent. An arm pushed at the opening and in stepped Yamanaka Ino, small smirk on her face. She greeted them with a nod before stepping forward. To their surprise, another had followed after her. The dark-haired kunoichi dipped her chin as Ino had done, slight smile on his face. Naruto immediately tensed at seeing her, causing Sai to briefly wonder why. His dark eyes returned to the blond female, though. With hands on her hips, she silently, and perhaps subconsciously, demanded attention. An admirable trait in a leader. Danzo had the same aura, though different posture. "Ino-san," he greeted her and stood up. Sai turned to the second kunoichi, acknowledging her with a nod of his own. "Hyuga-san."

"Sai, a pleasure," Ino replied, keeping the sneer from her face but not her voice. The pale ninja refrained from sighing. "But anyway, me and Hinata heard you talking. We're coming, too."

"But-"

"I don't have the time or patience for arguments, Naruto," Ino cut in.

"Mayu is our friend and her life is in danger," Hinata explained. "I refuse to do nothing while her life is on the line. We are coming, Naruto-kun." She stepped beside her fellow kunoichi. Ever so slightly, her eyes narrowed down at the battered male. "Sasuke-san is your best friend. Mayu is mine. I will track her down and bring her back. Do not refuse me, Naruto-kun. This is not a request."

"I… I guess we don't have a choice," he murmured as he averted his eyes. His cheeks colored a bit when he turned his eyes back to the Hyuga kunoichi. "But is your body okay so soon after…"

"I…" Hinata subconsciously touched a hand to her chest. Ino had patched her up quite well. However, there was a bit of an ache with strenuous breathing. Others needed not to know. Not at the moment. "I can manage, Naruto-kun. Thank you." The blond nodded his head and scratched the back of his head.

"Then of course you can come! But this is a super-secret mission!" He shifted his attention to his teammate. "Sai! I'm counting on you!"

"Ye-Yes…!" Sai answered. "I've always been a tool of Danzo-sama… but I'm a member of Team 7 as well. Put your faith in me as you like."

"Great! Let me put my clothes-"

"I'm not dragging an injured Naruto anywhere!" Ino dropped down, and then practically smacked her palm against his forehead. He, of course, squealed in pain. "Oh shut it. You should have gotten help before I saw your bloody face." His groans were shut out for the time being.

"How are we to find them?" Sai questioned.

"Easy. We're going to follow after the ones that seem hell-bent on killing Sasuke-kun," Ino answered, not stopping her healing process.

"You mean-"

"Yes, the one who hurt Naruto-kun—we will follow them," Hinata stated. "I won't let her escape my eyes." It was then that Naruto halted his groans of protest and focused completely on the pale-eyed kunoichi. She had had her bloodline triggered since she had walked in. So even now she was looking at Ka… Ka… Ka-something. To be honest, he couldn't remember a name. But Hinata… She-

"Jeez, Hinata! Pipe down on the murderous intent for a second," Ino teased.

"In-In-Ino-san!" Hinata sputtered, gaining the trademark pink stain on her cheeks. The cheeky grin remained on Ino's face as she shifted her attention back to the task of healing Naruto. "I-If they don't lead us to Mayu and Sasuke-san, then they'll more than likely lead us to the current Raikage. Perhaps we can convince him of letting our friends go and have the village deal with them."

"Hopefully by that time, Master Tsunade will gain consciousness and kick that sneaky Danzo bastard out!" Ino gritted her teeth. "We get Mayu to explain the situation, maybe throw in a few white lies, and boom—crisis averted."

"For such a complicated situation," Sai began. "You make it sound easy."

"That is what Mayu specializes in," Hinata said, soft smile on her face. "Complicated simplicity—no one does it better."

"Alright!" Naruto raised clenched fists. With a roll of her eyes, Ino pulled away from him. "Let's go bring our friends home!"

0-0

"You're sure that's what she said?"

With green eyes slightly narrowed, Mabui stared at the bedridden ninja. He hadn't needed medical attention, but Jay had still been examined. He had almost starved apparently. The man nodded his head, squinting. He wasn't used to not having his sunglasses. The one that had given the message, a young girl, had taken his shades. Her purpose for doing that remained unclear. "It's strange… I get the feeling that I've heard that before," Jay continued, lowering his gaze to his lap. Though he couldn't see, the dark-skinned woman raised a questioning brow. "That name—Ishikari, I mean. But I don't know where such a strange name would come from." Mabui didn't respond. Admittedly, she felt an itch in her mind due to hearing the name for the first time. Had she heard it herself before? She couldn't recall a time, though. "Anyway, that's all she told me before she left. I'm surprised I wasn't killed."

"I am as well," Mabui said. Jay winced. Though her tone didn't change, he must have realized she had become a bit irritated. Only because she shared a similar skin tone to those of the Cloud village he had ran his mouth without thinking. The girl was a part of that Uchiha's group—that was clear. Therefore, she was also a part of Akatsuki—an enemy organization. The group had captured and killed Yugito. That group wouldn't be so easily forgiven. The Raikage would want to know about this, previously unknown, comrade of Akatsuki. Mabui nodded her head, signaling an end to the verbal report. She turned to go, but stopped just short of the threshold. "Jay-san… Next time, remain silent in the hands of the enemy or do not separate from Kay," she advised.

"Y-Yes…"

With that parting piece of advice, Mabui took her leave. It was too bad the Raikage had already left for the summit. She would have to use her ability to let him know of Jay's safe return and the new enemy. Like Jay said, however, the actions of this new enemy, as well as her affiliation, were strange. Mabui furrowed her brow as she walked. To her knowledge, there weren't any missing-nin from Cloud. Well, that hadn't already been taken care of. Perhaps Jay had only assumed her ninja status as well. Still, there was no mistake regarding her origin. The Land of Lightning houses the majority, if not all, of dark-skinned population. It has been that way since the beginning of Cloud, even before that really. The young girl had to have descended from a family in this country. _"And Ishikari…?"_ Had that been the girl's surname? Or was she just a messenger for someone else? Regardless, it was her duty to find out anything pertaining to this girl before compiling everything to send to the Raikage.

It had taken near an hour. She had to dig around the former Head Ninja's office. Since his death, his position had not be filled, partially because of the still active traps. The man had been known for his paranoia. The man's last act had, in essence, sullied the Cloud's reputation to a drastic point. It was because of that man that other villages considered Cloud to be power hungry without reason. His methods had lead other nations to conspire with Akatsuki—the popular opinion. His name had become a stain that people no longer remembered. Still he had had quite the collection of research at his disposal. Most of it had been useless in the current times, but he had stumbled across the name Ishikari and had investigated.

Mabui sat down at her desk, making herself comfortable. She tucked strands of her silver hair behind her ear, and then began to read. The notes were xenophobic at best. As she read, she wondered how this man kept his position for so long in times of peace. He had had so many plans to gain an edge over other villages. Kidnapping hosts of Bijuu from various other hidden villages, capturing young members of clans that held advanced bloodlines—even ones that hadn't been considered advanced. Had his plans worked, he would have had his hand in just about every power source other villages had to offer. He had been a greedy man, and it had led to his death.

His last method had been to take the heiress of the Hyuga clan, under the guise of initiating a peace treaty. However, that hadn't been his only goal. Beforehand, he had learned of Ishikari and had planned to take the youngest of that clan as well. According to the former Head Ninja, Ishikari had belonged to Cloud and the Leaf had no right to keep them hidden away. With their abilities, Ishikari, to him, would have made the Cloud village the strongest. The notes went on to describe the abilities that were 'rightfully the Cloud's to use.' Mabui's lips parted in realization as she came to the end of the ranting.

She shut the journal, attempting to ignore the tremble in her right leg. The notes hadn't stated why the Former Head believed Ishikari 'had been taken.' However, she had come to grasp the reason the Ishikari name had pulled at her mind. Bedtime stories, tales of spirits, legends, and _monsters_, had been told since the beginning of the Cloud village. There had existed a family of monsters—the Ishikari—which had resided in the Land of Lighting. They could summon flames, possess the minds of the innocent, and walk as though they were the shadows themselves. Everywhere they had gone within the nation, chaos reigned—destruction inevitable. The family held no loyalties, and they couldn't be hired as mercenaries either. Many times they were sought out, and many times their seekers had been brutally struck down.

Their brutality had only been a part of the reason they had become something to fear. They had stolen children away. When rumors surfaced of their arrival, cases where children went missing followed close behind. Of course, it had been investigated, but there had never been any results. Not good results anyway. The investigators of the missing children had all died in their pursuit of the truth. The children had never been heard from again. Why they chose to prey on small children had been an unknown, but it had labeled the family as something akin to _Namahage_. What's worse, no one knew exactly what their physical characteristics were. Just their abilities. According to the stories, that had only been known due to one lone survivor. However, by the time he had reached civilization to spread the myth, he had been stark-raving mad and could not give a physical description. His mind had been too disturbed.

As an adult, Mabui understood that it had been a tactic. Spread the vileness of the family, and perhaps people wouldn't come looking. Clever. They had been the terror of the Land of Lightning for generations. And then suddenly… nothing. No rumors of their arrival. No large number of empty child's beds. They had seemed to have vanished. Years had passed since the last rumor, and eventually the family had become an urban legend—something to tell, and or tease, misbehaving children about.

Honestly, she had had a few nightmares about the family of monsters when she had been quite young. She swallowed and closed her eyes for a moment. _From the ashes, Ishikari rises again._ She had said it to Jay, knowing of his loyalty to Cloud. Had it been a scare tactic, the mere beginning of a rumor like in the past… or a warning? Mabui stood up, pushing the chair away. Whatever it had been, it was too dangerous to do nothing in this circumstance. Whether Ishikari was a myth or real, the leader of the village needed to know about it. Now. Her Raikage was strong, but not even he could build up a defense against someone who could attack the mind.

0-0

Rain. It was raining, but he couldn't feel it. It was dark, too. He was standing in a forest of some kind. Well, it had been a forest at some point, probably strong and full of life. Now, it was a wasteland full of rotting trees. Not the point, though. He couldn't move. He stood, but his body did not respond to commands. He merely stared, letting the heavy downpour soak. A mere few meters away, he watched as a hooded figure corner another dark figure. He couldn't make out there faces, not through the rain and the dark. But he could infer that one had injured the other. Leaning against a withered tree, the other man panted.

Over the rain, the familiar sound of sword being removed from its sheath entered his ears. The hooded figure had pointed the blade at his opponent. It didn't take a genius to figure out where this was going. The weaker man slowly looked up, maroon eyes showing acceptance. Maroon…? Even in the darkness of night, he could see the glowing Sharingan. Lightning struck, illuminating the trees and the staggered male. _"Itachi…?!" _Sasuke's mind screamed because his mouth wouldn't. His brother, however didn't know he was there. Didn't know he was watching, waiting for the unavoidable. Itachi stopped panting for a moment, a ghost of a smile on his face. His tear-troughs seemed much more prominent. _"Why?!"_

"Is that all you've got?" The hooded man finally spoke. His deep voice held a familiarity, but he couldn't pinpoint where and from whom he had heard it before. Sasuke held his breath as he watched the hooded man take a step towards his brother. "I used to look up to you. Uchiha Itachi—the genius of his clan—stronger than anyone in my mind. But that was an illusion. A twisted fantasy in a child's mind. Look at you know. You're just a weak, blind, fool." Shut up… Shut up…! Who was this man?! He didn't know anything! How dare he?

"You have no idea… what you are doing," Itachi murmured. Blood slid down the right side of his face and mixed with the weather's liquid. His voice had become ragged and scratchy. His words were rasped like dried blood had coated his very lungs. Sasuke swallowed hard. He had wanted to squeeze his eyes shut and not see this. "However… You… are-"

"Enough!" Without another or warning, the blade pierced his brother's chest. Sasuke felt his own heart stop. Standing so close, the hooded man pressed his sword deeper. Itachi didn't groan in agony. He merely tensed. The two stayed that way for seemingly an infinite amount of time. Then the man twisted his wrists, thus twisting the blade in Itachi's heart.

Sasuke screamed. Actually screamed this time. Body no longer paralyzed, he rushed forward, hot fury pumping through his veins. However, an invisible obstacle had stopped him from reaching the pair. He banged on the clear wall, shouting for his brother, cursing whoever had ended Itachi's life. All in vain. The man hadn't given him a glance. His brother lost the tension, causing his head droop to the side. Black dead eyes, unseeing forever. With blood-soaked hands, the hooded man took a couple of steps away from his dirty work. Then he turned and began walking away. "Rot." The word had infuriated Sasuke enough to punch the barrier so hard that it had cracked. Not enough to completely break it, though. Even with his bloodied knuckles, he hadn't felt the pain.

"You do not know whom you have kill," Itachi's voice echoed. The hooded man halted and Sasuke's breath hitched. "I believe weak, blind, fool should be applied to you." A hoarse chuckle erupted from Sasuke's lips. Of course… Of course! No one could kill Uchiha Itachi. No one! His brother wouldn't succumb to some random person's attempts. "To be so blinded by your revenge… that you could not see what your hatred has wrought." A deep sigh was heard. "I am… disappointed, foolish-" Sasuke's eyes expanded. Inside, his blood ran cold. "Little-" He didn't… He couldn't have! "Brother."

No…

"Itachi…!" The hooded man whipped around so fast that the hood fell away, revealing his identity. His Sharingan darted to and fro, attempting to locate Itachi. But Sasuke could only stare at himself, petrified by what had witnessed. Sunned by what he had done. Without knowing anything, he had struck down a copy of his brother. So callously, he had watched _himself_ kill Itachi. Even if it had just been an image, it hurt. "Come out! Face me!" Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut, but that did little to stop his own mouth cursing his brother's very existence.

"A shame that it has come to this," Itachi's murmur still echoed. "To kill our sanctuary, to kill our precious person—how far are you willing to go?" Sasuke's eyes immediately opened in alarm. There was only one who he had claimed as a sanctuary. To his surprise, he was now standing in a different position. And he could feel the rain on his skin now. "How could you? How dare you do such a violent thing to _her_?" Itachi's voice had warped into something almost unrecognizable. But Sasuke paid more attention to the drumming of his heart. It felt like the entire sea had engulfed his body as he stood a step towards the pinned dark figure. Then lightning struck again.

Black hair, damp from the rain, plastered against her brown cheeks. Blood had slid from her parted lips. Her, once warm, blue eyes were void of life. Void of anything. _Sasuke… How could you?_ Her voice entered his mind and struck hard. The young Uchiha's legs trembled until they finally gave out underneath him. "N-No… This ca-can't be…! You can't be dead!" With almost violent-like shaking, Sasuke crawled forward. No no no nononononononono…! He reached for her, but then noticed the blood on his hand. _Her_ blood.

"How could you?" A new voice gained his attention. Sasuke turned his eyes to the right. He saw himself again. This time, though, a younger version. Six…? Seven, maybe? With his cheeks swell in annoyance, the younger Sasuke glared, standing behind the cracked barrier. "How could you?" he repeated. Bright red blood slid from his ears and down his neck. "She was gonna be my _everything_!"

"No! I-" He squeezed his eyes shut. "This wasn't supposed to-to happen! She was ne-never supposed to be involved!"

"Of course she was!" A harsher voice nearly growled. Sasuke opened his eyes again, staring at another version of himself. Twelve, probably. With his hands shoved in the pockets of his white shorts, the younger him showed his rage. Like tears, blood leaked out of his eyes, slipping down his cheeks "From the start, she was always involved! You just didn't _see_ _it_! How could you?! You made us blind to anything and everything!"

"Itachi-" His twelve-year-old body morphed into his brother suddenly. He stood, staring impassively. Blood fell from his lip. In place of his heart, there was only a hole. Sasuke's body convulsed wildly. No longer could it hold back the contents of his stomach. He heaved, retched, and coughed as he felt his older brother's gaze on his body. "I-I-I-I did-didn't _know_!"

"No. You did know," Itachi stated. His deep voice sounded unsympathetic to Sasuke's quivering form. Hesitantly, the younger brother met the stare of the older brother. "You knew what killing me would bring. You knew from the start that if you killed me, you would kill her as well. How could you?"

"It… Ita-Itachi, _please_! Help me… I need her!"

"How dare you?" Itachi shouted, transforming into his twelve-year-old self. "You are responsible for everything!" Without warning, his seven-year-old self replaced his younger version. "She was gonna be my everything and you took her away!"

"But-" Once more the apparition transformed. This time his mirror image stared back at him, bloodied hands and all. "Itachi was our past. She was our future." Sasuke found himself speaking in sync with the vision, unable to control his mouth. The rain soaked them both to the bone. "And we let her die." His mirror image lifted his left arm, bloodied hand gripping a kunai. Sasuke, himself did the same. "What good is this world if we can't have them?" Quicker than he could comprehend, the blade plunged deep, burying hard into his chest.

Sasuke woke up with a start. Eyes having snapped open, he breathed erratically as he stared up at the ceiling. His fingers had clutched the cover over his body. He could feel the wetness on his skin, cold sweat. The young Uchiha slowly sat up, shutting his eyes. A nightmare…? He hadn't had one of those since… Gradually, his breathing evened out. Once calm enough, he looked around the room. His gaze almost instantly honed in on Mayu. She, and Karin, had made Juugo their own makeshift teddy bear. Each girl had each of his arms in their hold, sleeping with tranquil looks.

The young Uchiha swallowed hard, and then moved. He had to push a sleeping Suigetsu off his legs to do so, but he had managed to make it to Mayu. It didn't take much to pry her arms away from Juugo, but he had woke them both in the process. When her eyes found his, Sasuke ran his tongue over his front teeth. She blinked like an owl, fatigued fading. "Go back to sleep, Juugo-kun," she said. The bigger teen nodded his head.

"_Hm_. Yes," he said before shifting his face away from the two.

Mayu stood, intertwining her fingers with his, causing Sasuke to stand as well. She quietly led him towards the balcony door. Without words, she pulled him out on the balcony and slid the door close behind them. It was early in the morning. The sun had barely risen in the sky. Moments passed and yet she still didn't utter a word, not even a questioning glance. "Ma-" His voice cracked as the bloody image of his brother and she flashed through his mind. Before his body could react, Mayu forcefully pulled him to the balcony's floor. She sat opposite of him and began talking.

"I had a dream once," she began. "I was younger, around the time when I used Sakura's body. This was before you knew about me. Before I saw you as a friend, so you can just imagine my surprise when I realized I dreamt about you." Sasuke remained silent, letting her talk. "In my dream, you were on a hill. You smiled at me and called me by name. My real name, not Sakura's. I remember being shocked by that. But you just teased me, implying that I had hit my head hard. I called you a peacock, then continued to tease you. Eventually you got fed up and tackled me. We ended up rolling down the hill." She grinned in a smug manner. "I, of course, was on top."

"As always," Sasuke couldn't but remark. He was half surprised that he had chimed in in that playful tone. Then again, Mayu had always been able to completely calm him. The girl's grin stretched as she chuckled lightly.

"I demanded to know why you had tackled me, and you just nonchalantly wondered out loud what it would be like to marry me," Mayu continued with a shrug. Sasuke blinked. Twice.

"You sure you didn't like me before…?"

"Shut up, bird brain. I told you that dream freaked me out," Mayu retorted. Her expression turned thoughtful. "In fact, I think I woke up punching the shit out of you." Sasuke's left eyes twitched. Somehow, that sounded familiar. "Anyway, in my dream, I had to process what you'd said, but before I could question if my ears were playing tricks on me, Naruto interrupted. He and Sakura stood on top of the hill. Naruto shouted that you guys had another mission. You pushed me off you, muttering a goodbye. I let it slide because I was still in shock." She scratched her cheek, the right corner of her lips twitched upward. "I found my voice and questioned what you had said. I think you grinned, and then said that when you get older, you were going to marry me. And then you just left! I protested, because _ew_—marriage—no way, but you were long gone. I woke up in a panic."

"And that's when you woke up and punched me, screaming how you didn't want to… You just made me feel _so_ much better," Sasuke grumbled sarcastically. His frown only seemed to make Mayu giggle. She then touched his cheek. "Why'd you tell me that?"

"Just felt like sharing," she answered, dropping her hand. "Anything you want to share?"

He had half a mind to say no. He hadn't wanted to bring up those horrible images he saw in his dream. However, words fell from his mouth like a faucet. Sasuke spoke, keeping his eyes on their clasped hands, hoping that his voice would remain neutral. But he knew better. Mayu had already seen the worst of him. By the end, he was clutching her hand so hard and holding back tears. She must have felt the pain, but didn't cry out not once. Her free hand gripped his shaky shoulder, causing him to look her in the eye. She, too, was holding back tears, but fierce, angry even. "I… Mayu… that-"

"Sasuke, don't you dare," she cut in. "Don't feel guilty. If you have to… don't you dare let it overwhelm you like this! None of this is your fault. None of it!" Mayu twisted her hand away from his, only to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him close in her embrace. "What you did… What Itachi has done… Your actions are only symptoms to the real disease. I… I won't let it be like this! I _won't_!"

"Mayu…" Sasuke narrowed his eyes, and then slipped his left hand into her hair. He breathed her in, shutting his eyes. She was doing it again. Being strong _for him_. "You are not doing anything alone. I'm not sorry for putting this all on you, but don't take it all and react by yourself."

"What… What are you saying?"

"We change the world _together_, or not at all," Sasuke clarified. "Regardless of the consequences, we'll face them… always together."

"_Mm_…"

The young Uchiha mentally sighed. He wanted to be strong _for her_, too. He had to. She had seen some of his best and worst moments, but as of now, he didn't truly feel the same about her. There was always going to be a barrier in front of her. Until he broke it down completely. Sasuke slowly released her. She did the same. "Rely on me. Let me be your foundation now." Her jaw tensed as she averted her gaze. "I'm strong enough to be that for you, right?"

"Yeah, you are."

"Then let me do my job." He dipped his chin, meeting her gaze. He tilt his head and touched her cheek. She lifted her head. "Don't hold back and let me see all of you. Like you've seen all of me."

"… Okay."

Suddenly, something caught his eye. It seemed to be… a smudge in the scenery. He immediately stood, pulling Mayu up with him. They both faced the transforming swirl, tensed and ready. Even in the hotel's robes, Sasuke knew Mayu hid a weapon. He, himself, had his Sharingan activated. Eventually, the warped shape transformed into his relative. The one claiming to be Uchiha Madara. "Hey there, Sasuke," he greeted. "I'm not interrupting, am I?" The younger Uchiha glared. "_Oops_, guess I am."

"How did you find us?" Sasuke questioned.

"Don't underestimate me," his relative answered. "I have my own abilities to rely on."

"My group has nothing to do with Akatsuki anymore. As I told I've already told you."

To his annoyance, the Uchiha began speaking as though he hadn't heard. He went on and on about failing and betraying. More of a drama queen than anyone he knew. Sasuke had to force himself not to roll his eyes as the man continued talking. But, as Mayu had inferred, the jinchuuriki of the Eight-tailed beast had managed to escape, convincing him that the sliced tentacle had been him all along. Clever. This 'Madara' had only given them both the confirmation they needed.

"Doesn't matter if he failed or not," Mayu spoke up. "We have other plans to attend to."

"To the Leaf village, right?" he asked. He gave a shrug. "Too bad it's a wasteland now." Neither teen spoke, and so the man continued. "One of my subordinates attacked the village, and the Fifth Hokage lost her position. Now, one of the elders who had drove your brother to murder is the Hokage—Danzo." Sasuke and Mayu exchanged a look. Did it change anything, he asked silently. It changes _nothing_, her eyes answered. The man didn't seem to notice. "Because of you and Pain, the five Kage are on the move. They'll hold a meeting pretty soon…"

"What do you want us to do about it?" Mayu asked, raising a brow.

"As it were, I don't care about capturing the jinchuuriki at this point. I have something else I want you to do, which will benefit us both," the man said. "Danzo is your target. Head to the Summit and face him."

"… Then our plans have changed," Sasuke stated. "We go to this meeting. And kill all of them. Every single Kage."

"Where is the meeting being held?" Mayu questioned.

"My other subordinate will contact you soon and lead you to the meeting. Be prepared," the man said. Then he disappeared in the same manner that he had appeared. Sasuke waited a few moments before his body relaxed. Mayu had done the same. He nudged her.

"Was that good?"

"Yeah. It was… I just might reward you for that later." Mayu turned to him, light smile on her face. "For now, let's wake the others. Our plan has been set in motion already."

0-0

"Damn it, Naruto! You've got to be kidding me!"

The shout from the dark-skinned kunoichi had relatively been ignored. In the tense atmosphere, Leaf versus Cloud, it felt almost stifling. The Raikage stared—or rather glared—at the Leaf ninja that had blocked his path. Four of them, only identified by their headbands remained silent. Well, obviously one of them was a Hyuga, judging from the girl's eyes. Veins bulged around her eyes, giving her the appearance of a fierce kunoichi. "Did the Hokage send you?!" The Raikage could no longer keep silent. Had she been sent to remind him of the Cloud's previous blunder regarding the Hyuga clan? He wouldn't put it past the Leaf, always looking to put guilt on someone else.

"No. We weren't sent by the Hokage." The blond kunoichi stepped forward. However, her arms remained at her sides, showing no hostility. The Raikage's subordinates wisely tensed in anticipation, though. "We actually have a favor to ask, Raikage-sama." Her baby blue eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "As ninja of the Leaf village, we wish to stop an international crisis. Please listen."

"Don't you think that's a little rude?" Shi asked, dark eyes narrowing at the group of young Leaf ninja. "You didn't even ask ahead for an audience with our leader. On top of that, we're on our way to the Summit."

"We are aware of your destination, and we apologize for the inconvenience." The Hyuga spoke up. A slight frown tugged the corner of her lips downward. "However, it would be quite rude to refuse the audience of the Hero of the Leaf, the ninja who has defeated many Akatsuki members: Uzumaki Naruto. As well as the Heiress of the Hyuga clan, I, Hyuga Hinata. Also, the Fifth Hokage's direct pupil, Yamanaka Ino. Even someone who directly serves under our acting Hokage, Sai." For a moment, she stopped speaking. The Raikage watched his subordinates tense even more. "Recognize our titles and grant us the favor of speaking with you… please."

The Raikage narrowed his eyes. Those were slightly impressive titles. The man begrudgingly acknowledged the girl's words. The girl had guts to approach him in that manner. "Alright," he replied. "I'll listen to you. Spit it out!" The group of ninja looked a bit surprised by his lenience. _Hmph_! They were right to not expect it. Eventually, the blond shinobi moved forward. He breathed in deeply before speaking.

"I want you to stop the execution of Uchiha Sasuke and Ishikari Mayu!" he stated. The Raikage's eyebrow furrowed a bit. Ishikari…? While he contemplated why that name sounded familiar, his subordinates had varying exclamations of protests. Except Samui. Perhaps she was in the midst of processing the second name, too. After all, he had not ordered the death of this Ishikari Mayu.

"I know that it's a lot to ask! But I have to try!" The blond interrupted the protests. He squeezed his eyes shut. "Those two are my friends! I can't just sit back and watch them be killed!" He opened his eyes again. "And I don't want Sasuke to be the reason for a war between the Leaf and Cloud villages! Being caught up in revenge will only bring more chaos and destruction!" The brat was beginning to become annoying. The Raikage almost let out a scoff.

"Let's go," he told his subordinates. He had been about to walk off when the boy actually dropped down to his knees.

"I'm begging you!" he screamed. The Raikage found himself getting really irritating with this brat. "I don't want anyone else getting killed for revenge! All Sasuke thought about was revenge! It almost consumed him… It almost changed him for the worst! But then… Mayu came into our lives… The circumstances were weird, but… She managed to… to _save him_! He once told me that Mayu is the reason he didn't drown in his revenge! She pulled him from the darkness and… and so… Those two are definitely together! There must be a real reason Sasuke was seen wearing the Akatsuki cloak! Mayu wouldn't let Sasuke just join that organization! She wouldn't let him be driven mad and do something like that!" The boy buried his forehead deep into the snow. "So please…! Instead of killing them, let them _explain_ their actions! Don't act without knowing the reason and have our villages killing each other over a misunderstanding!"

For a time, it was silent. Then Karui remarked how stupid the boy was being. He had to agree. "Uchiha Sasuke will die by my hands because of what he has done," the Raikage stated. The blond boy's gasp had been stifled by the snow. Pathetic. "If you care so much, then it's up to you to make sure his death doesn't provoke retaliation." Still, the boy didn't lift his head. "And I don't know about this Ishikari Mayu girl, but if she helped him at all, and she's a part of Akatsuki, then she dies, too." To his surprise, both Leaf kunoichi took another step forward, appearing quite hostile by his remark.

"Stand down, Leaf dogs!" Shi yelled. The two froze, but the snarl did not leave the blond kunoichi's face.

"In the past, your village's actions could have started a bloody war with ours when you went after my family's advanced bloodline," the Hyuga stated. "However, instead of retaliating for the death of one of our own, my clan swallowed our pride and the treaty remained. Had we not, the Leaf would have destroyed the Cloud. Your village would not exist today had we sought revenge!"

"What?! How _dare_-"

"Quiet, Karui." Samui admonished, expression and tone as blank as ever. The darker kunoichi pursed her lips, but kept silent as commanded.

"Raikage-sama, Naruto is not good with his words, but he is begging you to not do this!" The blond kunoichi crossed her arms under her cloak. "Despite what you say, he won't be able to stop people from trying to kill you in return. Both Uchiha Sasuke and Ishikari Mayu have affected many people, and those people will not stand to see them die! All we're asking is to give them time to explain their actions, themselves, to everyone. If their reasoning is less than satisfactory, then, and only then, would it be alright to get your stupid revenge!"

"Ino-san, he's still the leader of-"

"_Stuff it_, Sai!"

"I don't care!" The Raikage almost growled. "Your argument was lost the moment you bowed down and begged! No ninja should ever bow to another! Ninja respect action and strength, not measly words! Akatsuki will be known as international criminals, and then all the villages will be after Sasuke and Mayu, not just me! You beg for the mercy of criminals, wanting them to be forgiven so easily under the guise that their _justified deaths_ would plunge us into war. But in the ninja world, that is _not_ friendship!" Finally, the Raikage began to walk away. His subordinates followed after him. "If you keep acting so stupidly, then you'll fail in this career!" With those parting words, the leader of the Cloud village nearly stomped off. But for some reason… He looked back at the blond shinobi on his knees. Perhaps he felt sorry for him, but the Raikage would not change his mind. Not about his brother. Uchiha Sasuke would die.

Ino watched the departure of the foreign ninja, eye jerking in aggravation. She stomped her foot, sole reach deep into the snow-covered ground. "Who knew the Raikage was such an unreasonable, pig-headed asshole?!" she hissed in fury.

"Ino-san…"

"Don't scold me, punk!"

"Na-Naruto-kun." Hinata lowered herself beside the blond shinobi. She hesitantly placed a gentle hand on his right shoulder. "You can stop this now. They have left."

"Hinata…" He lifted his head, eyes focusing on the Hyuga. "What are we going to do? I can't let them die!"

"N-Naruto-kun…" Hinata deactivated her bloodline, and then helped the blond ninja to his feet. "We will save them." Naruto looked at her, sniffed loudly, and then nodded his head. Ino, seeing this, rolled her eyes. "We have to think of another way. If what the Raikage says is true, our friends will be the target of all the villages. We have to prevent that at all costs."

"If we cannot convince the Raikage, how are we to convince anyone else?" Sai questioned. "This is proving to be harder than we imagined." The pale ninja removed his ink and scroll from his pouch and began writing. Since the beginning of their journey, he had been sending false information regarding Naruto to Danzo. The acting Hokage believed him to still be inside the Leaf village. "More than likely, even if we were to find Queen and Torisuke, we would be labeled as their cohorts and we'll be missing-nin as well."

"We need a new pla-"

"Well, if it isn't the pig of the Leaf village!"

Ino instantly tensed, expression contorting into repressed annoyance. The group of Leaf ninja turned, spotting a trio heading towards them. The three siblings walked slowly, Kazekage of the Sand village taking the front. "Sand wench…" Ino sneered in response to Temari once the three halted their walk. The Sand kunoichi only grinned. "I wasn't expecting to see you. Normally, Gaa—the Kazekage is earlier than anyone to important meetings." Her blue eyes glanced in the leader's direction briefly. The redhead stared blankly in return, but then he nodded.

"Who else would occupancy Gaara to this thing?" Kankuro spoke up with a shrug. "Good to see you again, Ino." He stepped forward, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Gaara here stopped to admire every meadow we came across on the way here. I'd be surprise if we weren't late." The blond Leaf kunoichi flushed and shrugged Kankuro's hand off her shoulder.

"Rea-Really…?" Her reply was barely heard as she averted her gaze to the falling snow to the left of the Sand ninja.

"Anyway, Ino, what are you doing in the Land of Iron?" Temari questioned. Ino quickly shook her head, and then focused on her kunoichi rival.

"We came to talk with the Raikage, but he ended up being a fool," she answered. "He won't be convinced to take back the order to kill Sasuke and Mayu." The siblings seemed stunned by the news.

"Ma-Mayu?" Kankuro repeated as though unsure. "We heard about that Uchiha kid, but Mayu-_Mayu_? He wants to kill her, too?"

"It makes sense, though. They're always together. She's guilty by association, according to the Raikage," Ino muttered bitterly. "She has been labeled a missing-nin as well, so our village won't protect her either."

"What? When did that happen?" Temari asked. "Start from the beginning!"

So she did. Ino told them all what had happened. It started from when they both went on vacation. Mayu first, and then Sasuke. She explained that no one knew what they were up to during their vacation, but when the village had been attacked and they were called back, according to Kiba, Mayu had refused to come back. With him, she had confirmed that she had been traveling with Sasuke at the time, though they had been thought to be separated due to them leaving separately from the village. In the end, Uchiha Itachi had died because of Sasuke, and still there hadn't been any news of the two returning home.

"The acting Hokage officially deemed them missing-nin before he left the village for the Summit," Ino finished, solemnly. "We had wanted to make the Raikage reconsider the order to kill Sasuke, but we only brought attention to Mayu, too. I don't think he knew about her before we started talking. It wasn't her that was seen wearing Akatsuki's cloak."

"Unbelievable…" Kankuro gapped. "She gave the impression that she absolutely hated Akatsuki for what they did to Gaara! She wouldn't associate with any member of that organization!"

"Which is one of the reasons why this is too weird!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed. "Mayu wouldn't let Sasuke join Akatsuki! Even if Sasuke's her boyfriend, she wouldn't take part in capturing a jinchuuriki." Many eyes turned his way, even Ino and Hinata. "Wh-What?" he stammered, confused.

"Naruto… It was a secret," Sai stated.

"Oh…" Then he shrugged, uncaring. "They were going to find out eventually. Do you know how many people are paying for your drawings of them together?"

"That is why you asked me to paint them?"

"Yeah, of course! Next year, we're going to take ecchi requests, and make _soooo_ much money!"

"What the _hell_ are you guys talking about?!" Ino exclaimed.

"Uchiha Sasuke and Ishikari Mayu…" Temari trailed off, fighting a scowl. Once she found her words, she continued. "They're together…? Like a couple?_ Haah_… They still piss me off when they're together." She rolled her eyes. _"But I kinda want some of that ecchi stuff..."_ she finished in thought. "Troublesome… No wonder she's in the same boat as Sasuke." The Sand kunoichi crossed her arms. Then she turned her eyes to her younger brother. Gaara hadn't spoken at all since they greeted their foreign comrades. "What should be do, Kazekage-sama?"

"… I owe Mayu-san a debt," Gaara answered. "To me, it does not sound as though she is involved with Uchiha Sasuke's actions in regards to the Cloud village's jinchuuriki. I will vouch for her during the meeting. I cannot guarantee with Sasuke, though. There were, after all, eye-witnesses."

"That would be enough," Hinata said. "If you can convince them that Mayu isn't working for Akatsuki, it would be easier for her to explain their actions once she and Sasuke-san resurfaces."

"So then, at the moment, no one knows where they are?" Kankuro asked. Ino shook her head, but a relieved smile appeared on her face.

"What's important is that Mayu has the support of the Kazekage," she remarked. Slowly, her eyes shifted to the redheaded leader. "Thank you, Gaara!"

"… _Ah_…" He nodded. "You two saved my life. I owe you, at least, this much. Rely on me… Ino." Kankuro agreed with a nod of his head and a thumbs up in her direction. The blond kunoichi flinched, and then appeared quite flustered, averting her stare elsewhere. Hinata blinked, and then stared at her fellow kunoichi. Then a slight smile appeared.

"Ino-san…" she murmured. Ino looked back at Hinata. "Could our roles be reversed now?" An eyebrow raised in a questioning manner. The Hyuga stepped closer to Ino, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and pulling her close so that only she could hear. She whispered her crush's name in her ear and coyly said that she could pretend to be him, whilst leaning towards her comrade with her lips poked out. The young Yamanaka blushed cherry red.

"Hi-Hinata…! Stop! You look like Sadako!" Ino struggled while the Hyuga giggled softly. The males of the group looked on in wonder. Temari only rolled her eyes again and shook her head.

0-0


	40. Where My Loyalties Lie

There were few things Juugo openly disliked. Being in isolation most of his life, he hadn't been exposed to as many things as others had. Admittedly, he did not have an opinion regarding most things. So it was to be expected that he didn't have many likes _or_ dislikes. Still, there were certain things… Like snow. What was the point of _snow_? It was cold, wet, and blinding. The sun reflected off snow-covered surfaces and partially blinded. He didn't like it. He didn't like not being able to clearly see. Besides that, he felt exposed in his dark cloak. The surrounding samurai could spot the group just by looking hard enough.

With narrowed eyes, he watched a patrolling man pass their hiding place, seemingly unaware. Another thing he disliked about snow. There were few animals scurrying about. Karin had told him most were hibernating due to the weather and that he wouldn't be able to communicate with them while they were in the Land of Iron. That was most likely the biggest reason for his dislike of snow. Beside him, Karin sneezed. Like a chipmunk. Just a bit, the corners of his lips turned upward. "What is taking her so long?!" the redhead quietly demanded. "We're going to catch death out here!"

"Karin… shut up," Sasuke retorted. Suigetsu's chuckle sounded more like '_oooooh_.' Karin hissed profanities at him because of it. With flushed cheeks, she glared at Sasuke, but didn't bother to retort. Juugo looked at the young Uchiha. He had been on edge since Mayu had separated from them. To be honest, he, too felt apprehensive. He had thought of Mayu as his cage, someone who could contain his other side. Like Kimimaro. It didn't feel right now having her near. The girl had already been gone for more than five minutes, and she had yet to contact them. His rages were sporadic and unpredictable. He did not like waiting for her return, not knowing if he might go berserk without her by his side. Sasuke suddenly reached up, seemingly touching his ear. He narrowed his eyes a bit before nodding. "They're in," he stated addressing the rest of them. "Her planned worked."

"I still think it was a stupid plan," Suigetsu muttered. "What if they didn't come across someone so simple-minded as to think they're from the Cloud village just because of the color of their skin?"

"Don't forget the stupid sunglasses," Karin remarked with a scoff. She, too, thought the plan had been ridiculous. So ridiculous that it had actually went according to plan.

"It worked. That's all I care about," Sasuke stated. "Let's go."

Finally, they were going to escape the snow. Whilst the samurai shifted their focus on the new arrivals, escorting them about the building, their group could sneak in without worry. Soon, it would be their turn to shift the focus to them. Mayu would signal them once she was ready. Juugo frowned as he followed the others into building. The temperature was almost drastically different from outside. Pretty soon, sweat would form.

Sasuke began to give out orders. They would split up for now, keeping out of sight, and doing as the plan dictated. Suigetsu and Karin were a pair, leaving himself with Sasuke. Taking the nod as a signal, the two headed in another direction. Suigetsu, having another wireless radio, would hear when it was time. And if the guards suddenly changed formation, Karin would know. Walking through the halls of this place, Juugo stared at the back of the silent shinobi. From the start, he had believed Sasuke to be a loner, locked in his own world. Only venturing out occasional if the situation called for it. No one else could enter. Much like his own life.

Juugo had believed he and Sasuke were the same in that aspect. But that couldn't be. He had had Mayu all along. The two interacted as though they could read one another like an open book, could tell what the other thought just by looking. Sasuke hadn't been alone in his own world, after all. Their relationship… was almost envious. He couldn't recall a time where Kimimaro spoke of someone like Mayu. Had he met someone like Mayu? Or had Orochimaru been the only one?

"Sasuke…!" Juugo found himself calling out to the leader of the small group. Then he outwardly flinched, realizing that he hadn't known why. Sasuke, though, continued to move, never halting at his task. Ah, right. He was supposed to be doing the same. Hastily, Juugo began doing the same, making sure to stick them places that were covered by shadows. After what seemed like much time had passed, the older teen found his voice. "Has it always been like this? Between you and Mayu?"

"… What are you saying?"

"_Ah_… I'm sorry if it's rude of me to say, but you two haven't revealed the purpose of your plan," Juugo stated. "Also, I doubt you have allowed us to know the entirety of your plan. Secrets between you two—has it always been that way?"

Sasuke paused as though allowing the question to sink in. Finally, his dark eyes turned to him. Juugo admittedly felt pinned down by his gaze. "… Yeah," he answered. "It has." He smirked then, eyes becoming just a bit aimless. He was reliving memories, Juugo realized. "From the beginning, it's always been us versus the world. Who knew that someday it would be true?" Juugo furrowed his brow.

"So then… the kissing has been a part of your relationship from the start?"

The young Uchiha focused completely on Juugo. He even arched his right brow. For some reason, the older teen became uneasy. "You're interested in _kissing_, Juugo?" Sasuke questioned. Before he could explain—really, he had seen the both of them do it so often that he had wondered when it had started—the shinobi continued with another question. "Do you like someone?" An image of Tamaki flashed in his mind. He frowned, puzzled, but then shook his head.

"I do not have enough understanding of the concept to answer that question," Juugo answered. Sasuke actually chuckled.

"I can see why Mayu became fond of you. You remind me of my teammate," he said. "But no, the kissing came later… She kisses you sometimes, doesn't she? Do you like Mayu?"

"Yes." It surprised him how quickly he had answered. Especially since he had just stated he didn't have enough understanding of the notion. "She's nice to me. Talks to me. She treats me like a person and not a thing to be feared. I think it's foolish of her, but she can also control my rages. She's a necessity, but I don't mind her presence either. I feel completely at ease because of it—something I haven't felt since I last spoke with Kimimaro. I do like her. I suspect it isn't the same like you have for her, though."

"It better not be," Sasuke replied. He turned away and resumed his task. "But I'm not surprised. She has that effect on people like us."

"People like us…?" Juugo repeated.

"Lost, alone, trapped… in darkness," he clarified. "Me, my brother, and you had that in common. Sai, too. But she found us, comforted us in a strange way, and freed us. Not many people can do that. Even less would keep attempting to do so. We're not the most reasonable people, after all. Whatever her abilities may be, _that_ will always be her special talent. She will have our affections and loyalty until we draw our last breath."

"You believe that?"

"You _don't_?"

Juugo thought about the girl. Her strange behavior towards him. Sasuke had been right. He would even go as far as to say that Mayu had been like a light when she had come to him, urging him to leave his place of darkness. However, she hadn't stopped there. She had gotten him to open up. Talk. Something he hadn't been accustomed to. She might be the only person in the entire world who cared about him. Truly cared. Her grin appeared in mind. She was a lovely person. But… There were times where her expression changed. When she thought no one was looking, her expression hardened. She was different. Why? He found himself wondering. He found himself wanting to know. Wanting to make it so she wasn't different anymore. He had to… protect her. Ishikari Mayu was a light he couldn't let be extinguished.

"I… I do," Juugo finally answered. "She has my loyalty."

"Good…" Sasuke turned away. "You remember that. When the time comes, you remember what you just said."

"Yes."

0-0

This was seriously boring. She had never experienced something so boring, and she had to sit through one of Kakuzu's financial rants. At least at that time the zombie-like man had smacked her before she could doze off. There would be no such luck this time around. The person she happened to be in close proximity to at the moment had been quiet this entire time. She hadn't moved either since they had hidden. Yasmine narrowed her eyes as her gaze shifted to her right. Reluctantly, she had to admit that this person reminded her of herself. Surely she was bored, too. But her blue eyes remained focused on the meeting below. Had she even blinked in the past twenty minutes?

Then again, something had changed. Itachi had sometimes let it slip how similar she and Ishikari Mayu was. Honestly, she had become miffed in those instances. She hadn't even known the girl at the time, but being compared to her had irked her. Then she had actually met her. Face to face. Begrudgingly, she had to confess they were similarities. Their interests. Their logic. Their unorthodox methods of doing and planning things. Hell, they might even have the same charisma. But something had changed. Of the two of them, Yasmine considered herself to be… lighter—more cheerful. Mayu, with a career as a ninja, it was obvious that she would be more… practical—a realist.

Even being a realist, she had been easy going. But something had changed in the time she had last interacted with her. She seemed _angry_. At what, she didn't know. At who, she couldn't tell. That anger, though, was controlled somehow. Like she was keeping it bay. Underlying fury. That… couldn't be what Itachi wanted for her. Yasmine swallowed hard, and then focused back on the meeting. _"Not like I care…"_ she thought.

**You'd better not…**

"_Yes, _mom_~!"_

Ignoring Yasume's grumbles for the moment, Yasmine strained her ears to pick up the current conversation, making sure not to use chakra. Last she heard, they were talking about Akatsuki. How Akatsuki were used as mercenaries for warring countries. How hypocritical of them all. Using the organization, her family, and then discarding them after their use had run out. Now they were blaming Akatsuki for their problems. The Raikage and Tsuchikage were really going at it. It appeared as though they would continue. But the Kazekage interrupted the spat by clearing his throat. Yasmine couldn't help the squeal that resounded in her head.

"Before this gets sidetracked any further, there is something I wish to bring up concerning Akatsuki," Gaara stated. "Most known members of the group have been killed. It has come to my attention that their funding has ceased as well. The source of their funding, a popular idol, was discovered to be in partnership with Akatsuki. Her company renounced her, and the money stopped. Without funding and members dying, I believe the leader of this group is becoming desperate. Desperate enough to put whatever plan he or she has into motion as quickly as possible." The young leader laced his fingers together in front of his face, elbows on the table. "The plan is unknown, but it is no doubt dangerous. Gathering the power of jinchuuriki is not a matter that should be taken lightly. As I've stated before, I have previously requested the aid of your countries in regards to this matter. There is only one known jinchuuriki left and I refuse to allow Akatsuki to do whatever they want. I am no longer requesting aid. I am now _demanding_ an alliance amongst the Hidden Villages. We unite. We track down Akatsuki's leader. And we take out the entire organization before this situation escalates any further."

"… _So cool~!"_ Yasmine thought, holding back a grin.

"An alliance…?!" The Raikage seemed stuck on the word that seemed the most appalling. Yasmine almost rolled her eyes. He had even lifted his lip to show off a snarl.

"I agree with the Kazekage." The Mizukage let a soft smile grace her pretty face. It had been the first time she had done so. "Cooperation could be the key to ending Akatsuki completely."

"I believe this is a good idea as well," Danzo spoke up. Danzo—the blight of the ninja world. The person responsible for the murder of Uchiha Itachi. The grip Mayu had on Yasmine's wrist became firmer. She had to bite back whimper. Again. Whenever Danzo had voiced his opinion, the girl beside her would strengthened her hold. "We're in a state of emergency, after all. Also, the leader of Akatsuki is almost certainly Uchiha Madara." His, rather casual, remark caused the other Kage to show their surprise. The Tsuchikage even went as far as to state out loud how he had believed the man to be dead. Also, he mumbled something along the lines of _monster_.

_**Bah**_…

"The chain of command should be uniform as to avoid further confusion." The leader of the Land of Iron finally spoke up. Mifune, she believed his name was. The Tsuchikage asked, not so politely, who the leader of the alliance would be. "You will only fight amongst yourselves… so I would like you to respect my position as a neutral party. I will decide who amongst you will be better suited for the job."

"Before you do that," Gaara began. He sat up straighter and unclasped his fingers. "I want to discuss something else. The fate of Uchiha Sasuke and Ishikari Mayu. They are the true reason this meeting was called in the first place. Am I correct, Raikage?" The leader of the Cloud village only answered with a glare. "Uchiha Sasuke was spotted fighting and capturing the jinchuuriki of your village in Akatsuki's signature cloak."

"Are you trying to deny what my people saw?!" the Raikage raged.

"Please do not jump to conclusions," Gaara advised in a calm manner. "I am merely stating a fact. Another fact: Ishikari Mayu had not been seen at the site where your brother was attacked. To our knowledge, she had nothing to do with the capturing of the jinchuuriki. There is also no proof she is in league with Akatsuki. Even if she were, there is no proof of such a thing."

"_What_ is your point?" the Tsuchikage questioned.

"My point… is to revoke the notion of labeling her as an international criminal who should be killed on sight." Gaara's statement caused many eyes to widen in surprise. Yasmine, too. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She took a quick look at Mayu. Her expression had not changed. She continued to stare, listening. Waiting. Yasmine, pursing her lips, did the same. "Instead, when she surfaces, she should be _questioned_."

"With all due respect, Kazekage, Ishikari Mayu should not be of your concern," Danzo responded. "She is my ninja-" The grip increased again. Yasmine had to swallow the yelp. "-and the Leaf village will handle her fate as well as Uchiha Sasuke's. They are missing-nin of the Leaf village. It is not your right."

"Missing-nin…? Are they?" Gaara asked.

"Kazekage, what are you implying?"

"I am not implying anything, Danzo-sama," the redhead retorted. "However, I do have more facts if you prefer." In the silence that followed, Yasmine swore that Gaara just threw some serious shade. And everybody _knew_ it. He hadn't even referred to him by his title. Perhaps that meant he didn't truly believe Danzo deserved the title of Hokage. "After the two of them denied returning to your village, you immediately made them missing-nin. However, it has come to my attention that both Mayu and Sasuke were not on active duty at the time of your sentence. Even now, they are considered to be on leave."

"What?!" To the surprise of many, the Mizukage spoke out. "Is this true? Even if you're acting as Hokage, you should know that ninja on leave are mere civilians. You can't sentence them if they're on _vacation_!"

"They were ordered to return to the village. They refused. It was an act of treason," Danzo stated. "In our time of need, they did not come back to aid their village."

"That doesn't give you the right!"

"Our ninja do need time for themselves," the Tsuchikage agreed. "If it was official, then that makes your sentence invalid. How unfortunate."

"Who _the fuck_ cares?! Uchiha Sasuke was still seen capturing my brother! He was seen prancing around in Akatsuki's cloak like it was a goddamn fashion statement! He is affiliated with them and he will die!"

"Calm yourself, Raikage," the Mizukage soothed. "The Kazekage called for the revoking of this Ishikari Mayu's status as an international criminal, not Uchiha Sasuke's." Her visible green eye seemed to smile in Gaara's direction. "Which leads me to wonder just _who_ this girl is."

"She is an important person, a valuable asset… To have her die, especially over a misconception, wouldn't be in our best interests," Gaara answered. Yasmine glanced at Mayu again. She was surprised to see the corner of her lips turned upward. Was this a part of her plan or was she genuinely pleased with how the redhead had praised her? "I believe that if she is taken in, she will provide valuable information regarding our enemy." He bowed his head for a moment. "As Mizukage stated, I am not attempting to exonerate Uchiha Sasuke's actions. What he has done is inexcusable and should not be overlooked. It is Ishikari Mayu that should have pardon as she doesn't seem to be involved in the things that makes Uchiha Sasuke an international criminal. Until we know the truth."

"How did you come across this information, Kazekage?" Danzo asked.

"My source needn't be known, but my source does come directly from your village…" the redhead rejoined. "The information is valid. The real Hokage—excuse me, the former Hokage-" Yasmine had to stop herself from screaming out 'BURN!' all obnoxious-like like that one guy from that one show her parental unit watched. She almost let a snicker slip. "-granted the two of them leave of absence for more than a month. Mayu had the right to deny returning to active duty. As there is no proof tying her to the events, I propose that we remove her from the KOS list. All those in favor?"

"Aye," the Mizukage smirked.

"… Aye," Tsuchikage was next to agree.

"Aye," Raikage agreed with a barely repressed snarl.

"That's four. Motion granted," Mifune stated. "Now onto the leader of the Alliance amongst the five nations." He looked at each of them. "I believe the leader should be someone that is most capable for the job. And I believe that someone is-"

Suddenly, the room exploded in chaos. Zetsu had emerged from the floor. Ninja from all nations leapt with a quickness to defend their leaders. A smile curled on Yasmine's face as the white half dramatically exclaimed that Sasuke lurking about the premise. That side was always so fun to talk to. Before he could do much of anything, the Raikage attacked. He had moved so fast, she'd bet her autographed T-shirt that Zetsu didn't even realize his throat was in the Raikage's hold until the dark man squeezed a bit and yelled in his face. He demanded to know exactly where Sasuke was currently located. Ever sassy, White Zetsu replied that he could give a hint. Raikage didn't like that too much… and snapped his neck. Yasmine grimaced at the sight.

The ill-tempered man hadn't even thought about it. Like the Mizukage stated, he could have used Zetsu as a source on Akatsuki, but apparently the leader of the Cloud village was too far gone. He ordered his men to follow him on the search for the elusive Uchiha, lurking somewhere in the building. He then proceeded to smash through the wall as Mifune told his subordinate to order the samurai to be on the lookout for Sasuke. Yasmine almost shuddered, glad to know the plan didn't involve her confronting the Raikage. Yikes…!

But anyway, she was getting distracted. With the emotional one out of the way, it was _"Show time…!"_ She looked at Mayu, who gave her a nod—the go ahead. The two fell from the high ceiling like drops of liquid. And like a drop, her presence caused a ripple. Many exclaimed her stage name, clearly surprised. Few shouted Mayu's name. Kankuro and Temari. "Hey! You should already know that _I_ come before the dawn." All eyes on her, the Yasmine couldn't help but wink. "Now… Shall we begin?"

0-0

"How do you think it's going?"

Hinata didn't bother to answer the question. It had been answered four times previously. Ino didn't appear as though she was going to be satisfied either way. She paced back and forth, wall to wall, in their small hotel room. Fortunately, she and Ino had thought to bring money for their excursion. Otherwise, they would all be freezing in the snow. Naruto and Sai chose not to answer the blonde kunoichi either. Both were lost in their own thoughts at the moment. However, it was obvious their minds were on their teammates. Why wouldn't they? The situation could take a dark turn, forcing them all to choose. The Hyuga frowned, eyes narrowing. She hadn't thought that she would be placed in such a position again.

"_Mayu…"_ Hinata thought. She shut her eyes, and wrapped her arms around raised knees. Her eyebrows knitted together. _"What are you doing? Are you even thinking about your teammates… or me?"_ Unless the Kazekage convinced the other leaders, her best friend would be known as an international criminal. That couldn't be…! How were they to return to normal if that happened? Would they even be friends after that happened? Hinata didn't want to think about it. However, negative thoughts continued to swirl in her mind. She couldn't stop nor control it. Internally, the kunoichi sighed. She hadn't been this pessimistic since childhood. Mayu would surely scold her for thinking such cynical thoughts.

"Shall we have a little cha-"

The unfamiliar voice caused each ninja to tense. Like instinct, they all moved with hostile intent. However, it had been Ino who had attacked upon recognizing the dark cloak of Akatsuki. Her fist, though, smashed against the wall because her body had gone right through him. With her eyes activated, Hinata could only stare in surprise. How was that possible? Ino, too, looked surprised as she reared her fist back. She immediately put distance between the destroyed wall and the mysterious made that had managed to evade the attack. "Who the _hell_ are you?!" Ino blurted, fury obvious in her body language.

"Akatsuki…!" Naruto nearly snarled. Hinata had only just noticed he had moved to her side, ready to attack with her. "You-"

"This generation is a bit rude, don't you think?" The masked man seemed genuinely upset. "I only came here to talk!" He crossed his arms and actually huffed indignantly. Sai chose to make his move. Black ink coiled around the man, keeping his arms locked in place, unable to move. "See…? Just _rude_!"

"We have you captured," Sai stated. "You have ten seconds to reconsider whatever it is your planning or we'll be forced to release our coyote upon you."

"I'm gonna beat you senseless for that later, Sai."

"I only wish to talk," the man reiterated. He shifted his head, Hinata believed in Naruto's direction. "I'm really curious. How did you make Nagato betray me?"

"Like it matters!" Naruto exclaimed. "What did you do to Sasuke and Mayu?! They would never join _you_!"

"_Hm_…? The two of them—Sasuke and Mayu?" The man's nonchalance was enough to cause irritation. Despite his strange ability, he was too relaxed with his enemies nearly surrounding him. "Alright… I'll tell…" In the single hole of his mask, Hinata could have sworn she saw a Sharingan. To her knowledge, there were only two Sharingan users left in the world. It appeared that the information had been false this entire time. "I'll tell you about two pure souls… that were eaten by the ninja word's hatred and bitterness. I'll tell you all about Uchiha Sasuke and Ishikari Mayu!"

"Do not fool yourself into thinking you know a thing about our friends," Hinata spoke up, just barely masking her sneer. She had to remain calm no matter what this man said. "Why should we listen to you when we do not know who you are?"

"Then let me start by introducing myself. I am Uchiha Madara."

"I don't care who the fuck this is!" Ino hissed. "If he knows where Mayu and Sasuke are, then he'd better tell us!"

"Ino-san, calm yourself," Hinata urged. She knew her fellow kunoichi absolutely despised the organization that was Akatsuki. Her anger for anyone in the group could prove to be a bad thing if she couldn't control her rage. The blonde clenched her fists, but did not speak again in ire. The Hyuga directed her full attention back to the enemy. "You are Uchiha then?"

"Yes. I've been around for a long time. I know things that will make you question your very loyalties," Madara stated. Through his hole, he seemed to leer at all of them. Then he proceeded to tell them what he knew about Uchiha Itachi. About the Leaf village. About the cause of their friends' actions. The tragic truth made Hinata's mind shake. Her comrades stared in disbelief, Naruto and Ino, voicing their incredulity. They called the man a liar. The village's council wouldn't possibly allow that to happen. They wouldn't let one man take the blame for the destruction of two clans. They… couldn't… could they?

_This information, Hinata, is so valuable that I'm sure people would kill for it. I refuse to share that burden…_

A strangled gasp escaped her lips, causing eyes to shift in her direction. However, Hinata couldn't bring herself to acknowledge the stares. The Hyuga covered her mouth with both hands. Eyes wide, she thought about Mayu's strange behavior before she had left the village. She thought about when they had shared her body. Her best friend's behavior during that time had been erratic and worrisome. Hinata had no clue as to why. But now she did. Mayu _had known_. She had known this information the entire time. At that time, she hadn't only been sneaking out to practice her clan's jutsu, but she had also been collecting information. She must had believed that sharing the information would devastate them.

"Hinata…! What's wrong?" Naruto dropped down beside her. She hadn't even realized her legs had given out. This whole time her best friend had been suffering with the weight of such a secret. And her _best friend_ couldn't even see it.

"She knew…" Hinata whispered. "Mayu knew about this. She knew about… the Uchiha clan and the decision to… to eliminate them." Mayu had put on a façade to protect them all from the truth. Were all her smiles faked? Before she knew it, tears fell down her face.

"If… If it is true, and Sasuke and Mayu know it, why wouldn't they-"

"Do not delude yourselves. You pretend you know them, but you don't. Not really," Madara smoothly cut in. "You couldn't possibly understand either of them. Those two, all passion and power, are true avengers. I took a gamble with telling them the truth, but in the end, they chose their path. To avenge the brother they loved so dearly, they will wreak havoc on the ones responsible. The entirety of the Leaf village."

"…! The _whole_ village?!" Ino exclaimed. "Bullshit! Okay—that stuff might be true, but wanting to take revenge on the entire village? Mayu wouldn't-"

"You know nothing of her intentions," Hinata murmured. She slowly stood up again. A full glare was directed at the masked man. "Say another contradictory word about her, speak about her as if she were a mere tool in whatever your nefarious plan may be, and I _will end you_." She couldn't recall a time that she had so aggressively threatened another person's life. Still, this new knowledge was sinking in. Admittedly, it had caused her own version of anger. Not because of what the council decided. But because Mayu was seemingly being manipulated by such information. Hinata had to reach her. She definitely couldn't let this continue.

The room became eerily quiet after the threat left her mouth. Her comrades seemed to have lost the ability to close their mouths. Hinata clenched her teeth once. Her feelings for her best friend were strong and absolute. Her reaction to this strange man's words had been valid. She did not regret the threat, nor would she take it back. "My, my… what a scary child I've encountered. Tell me, have I been using someone's favorite toy without knowing?"

"… Eight Trigrams," Hinata whispered, more veins popping around her eyes. With a hard gaze, she focused on the enemy. That was the only warning he received. "Air Palm Wall!" A massive wave of chakra shot from her hands in the direction of Madara. He shouted as his body was hit. His back hit the wall behind him, going straight through it. It had all happened so fast that she hadn't realized her mistake until she could no longer see him. The man had felt her hasty attack, but his body had not made impact with the ground. He had just… disappeared. Her comrade hurriedly moved over to the second hole and peered down.

"He's gone!" Ino confirmed. Her sky blue turned to her, awe in her gaze. "Damn, Hinata…! Didn't think you could get angry like that." The Hyuga pressed her lips together, slightly embarrassed.

"He… He's escaped," she mumbled. "I'm sorry…"

"We may or may not have gotten information from him," Sai stated. "However, I am willing to bet it would have been nothing to help us. That man… clearly he was dangerous. I commend your efforts, Hyuga-san." Hinata stiffly nodded. "Still, what do we do now? He, at least, gave us confirmation that Sasuke and Mayu are working together. If anyone else gets ahold of this information…"

"Convincing the other leaders would be a waste of time," Ino finished, frowning. "If they're both working towards revenge because of what happened to their families… I don't know how to—I don't know what we should do."

"It hasn't changed! We find them both, get some answers, and haul them back home!" Naruto stated.

"But what happens if the answers… are not what we want to hear…?" Ino asked quietly. "I can… see what the positives were of killing off their clans, if what that guy said was true, but I'm not emotionally tied with either clan. I couldn't imagine how Mayu and Sasuke-kun must feel, knowing that."

"We…" Hinata swallowed, attempting to slow her breathing. "We must… find… them."

"Hinata, what's the matter? You're breathing so heavily," Naruto turned his full attention to her. Pale eyes found worry in his eyes. Then she realized that she hadn't been able to calm her heart or lungs. Her hand flew to her chest as she squeezed her eyes shut. Another mistake in attacking that man. She knew there would be ache in her chest, but didn't realize how much it would be if she fought. "Hinata…!" Naruto's voice had become muffled.

"Hinata!" Ino rushed over, hand already encased with green chakra. It was too late, though. Hinata collapsed and darkness consumed her.

"_Mayu… I'll reach you…"_ was her last conscious thought.

0-0

Everyone stared as the foreigner dropped down next to the dead body. Her hand lightly ran through pale green hair. She sighed before standing to her full height. "What a waste, that was." Yasmine slowly looked at all the room's inhabitants. "You all must be wondering why I'm here?"

"You're Akatsuki! This is obviously an attack!" Ōnoki stated. "You are one cheeky brat to show up here by yourself!"

"No. You're such a silly old man."

"What?!"

"I am here on my own accord. Besides, I'm not a part of Akatsuki," Yasmine shrugged. "I've come with a warning." She smiled. "One of you will die… or all of you will die." With her words, the people became even tenser. "Luckily, you get to decide! You get to decide who lives and who dies. _Hm_… Now doesn't that seem like familiar territory?"

"What is she talking about? Mayu…! Why aren't you saying anything?!" Kankuro exclaimed.

"Let's not let her talk just yet," Yasmine said. "She's feeling a bit cranky at the moment. No. If you have questions, then they should be directed to me. If I can't answer them, then I guess things will go south real quick." She hopped up on the table where Mifune sat. She squatted down and stared straight into his eyes. "Let me make this clear. If any of you attempt to kill either Mayu or myself, all of us will die. There are explosions tied to my life force. They are everywhere. As Kage, you'd probably survive that. However, inside of me lies another bomb. You really don't want to set _that one_ off."

"Why should be believe _you_?" Mifune asked. His voice remained neutral, as did his expression. Yasmine lifted herself from her squatted position. "You have no proof."

"Proof…?" the girl echoed. "Are you willing to take that risk? Ninja, samurai, enemies, comrades—we could all die here." Her brown eyes shifted to the Tsuchikage. "Deidara-nii. You know his methods, don't you? I learned quite a few things from my favorite brother before he died." Ōnoki remained quiet, but his eyebrow did twitch. "Now back to the main agenda. What we want… is revenge. Revenge against the one who killed our brother. We want Uchiha Itachi's murderer. We want him dead."

"Then why come to the Summit?" Gaara questioned. "Did you realize Uchiha Sasuke would come here? Does that mean you are not with him…? Mayu-san?" Her blue eyes turned to him. "Do you wish to end his life?"

"Sasuke doesn't know about this," Yasmine answered for her. "As for your important question, we came to this conclave because-"

"You have a choice, Gaara-kun," Mayu interrupted. She crossed her arms, gaining the entire audience's focus. "You all have a choice. Give me permission to kill one man, no consequences, and the rest of you live."

"Why do you need their permission?" Temari asked.

"Because they are the ones who _protect_ him!" Mayu shouted. "All these years! All these years he has gotten away with terrible things! Manipulating and or _eliminating_ anyone who dares to halt or impede his quest for absolute power. To have the Leaf be the strongest, he threw away any semblance of humanity. Even though everyone knows what he does—what his methods are—he gets away with it. He became a monster in the dark. He has to die." The dark-haired girl narrowed her eyes. Many saw her nails dig into her skin, drawing blood. She breathed in deeply though her nose. Then she relaxed her body, dropping her arms to her side. "I only want one life to begin transforming this world, but I will take _every single leader_ if I have to."

"You… aren't referring to Uchiha Sasuke, are you?" Mei inquired. Her visible eye narrowed. "Though the boy is Uchiha Itachi's killer, who you want dead is not him."

"Of course not… Sasuke may have been the one to deliver the final blow, but his action was only a reaction to the real cause," Mayu explained. "This blight upon the ninja world has been here for far too long, and I intend to exterminate it. Give me permission, or don't, but his life ends either way. The world will change… no matter what you decide."

"Who are you talking about then?!" Kankuro demanded to know. "Stop leaving us in suspense and just tell us!"

The floor shook, alerting everyone to the battle that must be ensuing. The Raikage must have found his target. "My, my—someone's having fun downstairs," Yasmine remarked. "You'd better decide quick before they make their way back here. That'd be a disaster." She moved to stand by Mayu. "The one we're after is the one who hides in the shadows. The one who uses underhanded methods to make sure he gets his way, no matter the cost. Someone like him warrants death and extreme circumstances to _get_ that death."

"The person we're after is Shimura Danzo—the _Shinobi of Darkness_," Mayu told them. "Let me end him and his wicked reign and everyone lives, and I'll tell you everything I've learned about Akatsuki."

"… _I_ am your target?" The one in question, whom hadn't spoken since the appearance of the two young girls. They turned to him, eyes glaring. "You do realize that is a crime, active duty or not? Your mere threat is grounds for execution."

"_Try_ it."

"Do not kill her. She is still valuable."

The two ninja at his side moved, but they weren't quick enough. "Sit down!" Mayu snarled. In unison, the people around her all did as commanded. The ones who were already seated visibly trembled, her control keeping them down. The girl walked forward, slamming her hands down in front of Danzo. He stared at her, actually opened his visible eye to do so. He had stopped struggling against her hold. "Surprised…? Sai didn't tell you everything, did he? Just like my mother." Danzo didn't speak. She leaned closer, smirk curling. "Love over fear. Looks like you chose the wrong path."

"Sh-She's… She not using chakra!" Ao exclaimed. Around his eye patch, veins bulged, signaling the activation of his single Byakugan eye. "How ca-can she not be using chakra?!"

"I'm an abomination—it's what I do." Without taking her eyes away from Danzo, she reared back. "Now, have I _gotten your attention_ or do I need to repeat my ultimatum?" She addressed everyone in the room. Another rumble seemed to shake the entirety of the building.

"Mayu-san, do you realize what you're asking?" Gaara asked. "By doing this… you're not just a criminal. You're a terrorist."

"Desperate times…" the girl replied with a shrug. "Besides, I don't want political gain, Gaara-kun. I want _revenge_." Danzo easily stared back at her. "This man has to die. His darkness will taint the world. There will be no future worth hoping for if he lives. I refuse to accept his ways like all of you have. Now…" Finally, she tore her glare away from the seemingly crippled man. "Decide."

"Mayu-san…! This… This isn't you," Gaara spoke up. "Why have you become this way? I don't understand… Why have your eyes become like how mine used to be?" The girl didn't answer. "I know you thought of me as your precious, but I thought of you as more than that. You were… my _angel_. You acknowledged me when no one else did. When no one else _couldn't_. You saved me from darkness. The life that I have now is—_you're_ part of the reason I am who I am. But you've changed so much. It's as though… you never had wings. When did you lose yourself?"

"… Gaara…" Mayu murmured. "You're so innocent. You have no idea. I almost wish I remained as naïve as you. But I can't forget what I've learned. I can't forget what he has done to not only the Leaf village, but _all_ of the Hidden Villages!" She gritted her teeth and breathed in deeply. "Let me tell you what he's done with the power of Ishikari in his hands. Let me tell you how Shimura Danzo _infected_ everything you thought you knew."

0-0

Wow... I seriously didn't think anyone was still interested in this story. Come to find out, all the notifications somehow ended up in my spam. I had no idea. Forgive me for not updating as soon as the chapter was finished. My bad. Blame for my yahoo email. It's the system's fault. I swear. Also I blame _Dragon Age: Inquisition_ for coming out around the time I last updated. Yes.

I may or may not have written a fan-fiction because of them. Maker help us all.


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